Deadly Bliss
by 2remember
Summary: Sequel to The Kankerlats of London Aelita gets the opportunity of a lifetime, part ownership of a nightclub! But that lifetime may be short when a new drug hits the streets, and it's origin is closer than the gang realizes... drugs, adult situations
1. A Date Long Anticipated

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

She had waited for this day for a long time, so she was careful in her preparations. Her friend, Yumi Ishiyama, had given her a blanket to use. Rosa Petijean, the school cook, made her a nice lunch of soup and sandwiches, and even managed to dig up a picnic basket for her to use. She made sure her dress was clean for the day and everything was ready, then she waited, praying that it wouldn't suddenly decide to rain.

Today, Aelita Stones had a real, honest-to-goodness, date.

It had been about a month since Aelita had traveled to London with the pop group, the SubDigitals; and the furor of that trip had, for the most part, died down. People had stopped hounding her for interviews, the kids at Kadic Academy had stopped with their questions, and the cause of the incident, the computer virus, XANA, had been unusually silent.

Aelita and her friends, Ulrich Stern, Yumi Ishiyama, Odd Della Robbia and Jeremie Belpois, had spent this quiet time repairing the damage to the virtual world, Lyoko, caused when they defended Aelita, and all of Britain, against XANA's last attack. Aided by the digital form of her father, Franz Hopper, the teens were able to fully repair Lyoko, and remove all of the tampering XANA had caused.

Between that and the normal pressures of being a twenty-first century teenager, it seemed like Aelita could never spare a moment to spend time with one of the most precious people in her life, her father. That is, until this past Friday, when she received an email, asking if she could spend Sunday afternoon in the park with him. She immediately agreed and set about making preparations.

It finally approached 1pm and the pink haired girl gathered her things and went out, walking to the park entrance on the campus. Those she passed in the hallways and in the courtyard wondered what she was doing, but really paid her no mind. As she approached the entrance, Aelita saw a form coalesce, her father. She smiled and picked up her pace, quickly joining him.

"Oh, you look lovely today, my dear," Franz Hopper said as his daughter ran up, "I've been waiting for this day for so long; I'm just sorry I can't be physically here with you."

Aelita set down her picnic basket and blanket and threw her arms around her father.

"I don't care," she told him, imagining that the tingling of his quantum energy form was the warmth of his physical self, "I've wanted this for so long, just spending time with you."

"Well, let's go find a spot," he said.

With that, father and daughter walked off into the park. They meandered around, talking about nothing in particular, until they came to a small pond, with a large oak tree beside it.

"This looks like a good spot," Franz said, "go ahead and spread your blanket out here."

Aelita nodded her assent, then set down the basket and took the blanket and spread it out on the ground under the tree, in its shade. She then took the picnic basket and removed its contents, setting out the sandwiches and the thermos of soup Rosa had prepared. She also set out some napkins and plastic cutlery, and finally produced a bottle of soda that Odd had gotten for her.

"Aelita, you shouldn't have made so much," her father said, "you know I can't eat or drink."

"I know, daddy," Aelita replied, "but it won't go to waste. If anything, Odd will eat the leftovers."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Della Robbia," Franz said with a laugh, "tell me, does that boy have a tapeworm?"

"The best we can figure is he has a hollow leg," Aelita replied, enjoying the banter. She opened one of the sandwiches and poured herself a cup of soup.

"To us," she said, raising the soup cup in a toast, "may we be truly be reunited soon."

"Amen," replied her father. With that, Aelita took a sip of soup and a bite of sandwich.

"So, how has life been treating you?" Franz asked his daughter.

"It was rough at first," Aelita began, "I didn't realize I was human, and so many of my memories were gone, I had to relearn a lot of things. But Jeremie helped me with that."

"It got better as time went on," she continued, "until XANA escaped. Daddy, I was mad at you for a while, for dragging me into Lyoko with you."

"I understand, and I'm truly sorry," Franz replied, "I should have never done that. As I've reflected, now realize that I was insane back then. I had relived the same day so many times, it unhinged my mind. That, and coupled with the raid by the government men, I snapped and plunged you into my nightmare."

"One of the things that got me over it," Aelita said, "was, if you hadn't done it, I would have been alone in the world, passed from foster family to foster family, or living in an orphanage until I came of age. And I would have never met my friends."

"And what about your friends," Franz said, "I know you have Jeremie and the others, but what about people beyond them?"

"I have a few," Aelita replied, "I've tried to keep an open mind about some of the other kids in school, and then there's Sophie and Simon and the SubDigitals."

"And what about Jeremie?"

"Daddy!"

"It's obvious that you like him, and he likes you," Franz said, "I'm just wondering how serious you two are."

"It's not like that at all," Aelita said, then added in a lower voice, "though I wish we were, sometimes."

"Oh?"

"It's just that... he can be such a pig-headed fool sometimes! There are times when he thinks I can't add one and one and come up with two; and other times, he's afraid I'll break if I get farther than two steps away from him. And then there's those all night jags he goes on..."

Franz Hopper laughed. "I see; everything is normal, then. Aelita, Jeremie's over-protectiveness of you is the way he tells you that he loves you. He hasn't worked up the courage to really tell you that, or show you, so that is how he expresses it. Now his working all night and not getting any rest is a concern, and it may not be something you can change in him. But you can make him want to change it in himself."

"How, daddy?"

"Have you told him you love him?"

Silence.

"I thought so. You might have to be the one to go first, you know. Girls mature faster than boys do, so he may not be ready to admit any affections to a girl, but you can let him know that you care for him, and you'll be there when he's ready."

"But I always thought that..."

"That the man was supposed to make the first move? Your mother didn't wait for me to confess. If she had, you wouldn't be here."

"But what if I tell him, and he doesn't love me back? Or, what if I tell him, and fall in love with someone else later?"

"I'm willing to bet if you tell him, he will tell you in return," Franz said, "and as for the other, that may well happen. There's no guarantee that Jeremie Belpois is your destined one-and-only true love, if there is any such thing."

"But what will I do then?"

"Aelita, if I knew that, I would be the wisest man on earth."

Father and daughter spent the rest of the afternoon talking about many things, important things, father/daughter things. In the end, Aelita snuggled up beside her father, both resting their backs against the oak tree, and looked out on the pond.

"Aelita," Franz said, "there is something I've been meaning to tell you. I need to leave soon."

"What? Why, daddy?" she exclaimed.

"I did not mean to remain here so long. I need to get back on the network and continue my evasion of XANA. I'm surprised that he hasn't caught on that I'm here, especially after the London incident."

"Daddy, why don't you let Jeremie run his materialization program on you? We can free you from the supercomputer, then shut the thing down and be a real family again."

"Unfortunately, I can't," Franz said sadly, "XANA has a part of me. I must either get it back or destroy XANA before I can be free of this. That's why I haven't even brought up the subject with Jeremie."

"But couldn't you try?"

"Actually, I did. I ran some simulations using Jeremie's program, but they all failed. XANA has a key part of me, and unless I get it, or destroy XANA, I'm trapped."

"Then don't go," she said, almost pleading now, "we've had so little time to really be together, I don't want to lose you now."

"I feel the same way," Franz said, "it burns my soul to have to sit here, in the depths of the supercomputer, and tell you I have to leave through a doppelganger. I want to feel you leaning against me again, and feel your soft hair; but I must."

Aelita wrapped her arms around her father and hugged him fiercely.

"I'm not leaving this minute," he said, "and I'm not just going to disappear. There are some things I need to take care of, then I'll be on my way."

He then took his daughter's chin and raised her head up. "And, if at all possible, I want to have another day with my daughter before I go."

While father and daughter were renewing bonds, three people were preparing to make their lives very complicated.

* * *

Two men and a woman walked across a bridge separating the mainland to an island containing an old factory. One of the men was talking.

"The moment I saw this place, I knew it would be perfect," he said, "it's abandoned, has a lot of floor space, and it's just grungy enough for what we need."

They reached the entrance to the factory and walked to the edge. There was no guard railing there, just four ropes dangling just off the edge. To the right was an elevator shaft, but the elevator didn't access this level. Beyond the edge was the lower level, fairly clear, except for debris in nooks and crannies.

"The second man said, "you'll have a hell of a job making it safe."

"It won't be that bad," the first man said, "all we really need is construction netting; you know, that plastic stuff they use at construction sites? Anyway, it'll add to the atmosphere. Kids have raves at places just like this, all the time.'

"Yeah," said the woman, "but ravers are generally trespassing on abandoned properties."

"Well, that's the point of this," the first man said, "we lease a spot that would make a good spot for a rave, fix it up enough so no one will get hurt, then open a club! We charge an entrance fee, serve drinks and snacks, live entertainment, and we're rich!"

"Whoa," the woman said, "you didn't say anything about serving drinks."

"Non-alcoholic," the first man said, "that's our edge. We'll set up a rave club for under age kids. They get to dance and party in a safe environment, and we make our fortunes."

"Hmm," the second man said, "I don't know. I mean, part of the appeal of raves are their illicitness. Going against society's norms and all that. And drinking is part of that too, along with drugs. I would think it would be too easy for things to get out of hand."

"I tell you, I've got the whole thing scoped out," the first man said, "if we present it right, the kids will come. Just give it a chance."

The second man looked at the woman and said, "Sophie; what do you think?"

Sophie Delacort, manager of the pop-rock group The SubDigitals and a certain pink-haired DJ, looked back at Simon Groe, the SubDigitals sound man and replied, "maybe it could work. I do think that underage teens need a place to cut loose and party in a controlled environment, and maybe we have an opportunity to make it happen here. Do you think Chris and the others might be interested?"

"We can only ask them," Simon replied.


	2. Girl Talk

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next few days passed uneventfully. Jeremie and Franz Hopper spent most of Jeremie's waking, non-school hours working on this and that. Ulrich and Yumi danced in their convoluted "we're just friends" romance, and Odd was, well, Odd.

Another person who wove their way through the group's life was the principal's daughter, Elizabeth "Sissi" Delmas. She was alternately the group's nemesis and butt of their collective humor, that is until recently. Sissi had accompanied Aelita to London for the SubDigitals concert, and though neither girl would admit it, the nature of their relationship started changing.

Usually, when Sissi would confront the group, she would attempt to worm her way into Ulrich's affections. He would quickly shut her down and the others, usually Odd, would snap off some snide remark and send her on her way. However, the first time Odd got snarky with Sissi after London, Aelita reached over and smacked the purple clad boy in the head. After she did, he turned to her and gave her a "what the heck" look, to which Aelita replied that he could be just a hair more civil with her. That raised Sissi's eyebrows as she walked off.

Sissi acted a lot different around Aelita, too. Before, the principal's daughter was quick with an insult, but after London, she generally said nothing, or was civil when she did speak. It didn't take the gang long to notice the change, and they asked Aelita what had happened, to which she replied nothing out of the ordinary.

What no one knew was, at times, and only when no one else was around, Aelita and Sissi actually had conversations, friendly conversations. If any of Aelita's friends ever saw them together, they would have dragged the girl to the Infirmary, because surely it meant that Aelita had lost her mind.

Today, the clandestine friends were sitting on the roof of the dormitory, talking.

"But of course Ulrich likes me," Sissi was saying, "if he really didn't, he wouldn't have gone out with me the few times he did."

"Sissi, the only reason Ulrich went out with you was because you blackmailed him," Aelita replied.

"But if he really didn't like me, he would have found a way to get out of it," the dark-haired girl replied, confident in her logic.

Aelita sighed in exasperation, then got a wicked idea.

"You know," she began, "if you really wanted to find out, you should probably hook up with someone close to him. If he really does like you, he'll eventually get jealous. Until then, at least you'll be close by. And who knows, maybe you'll have a good time."

"You know, I'd sooner date Herve than Jeremie," Sissi said.

"Touch Jeremie and you'll lose the hand you use at the shoulder," Aelita growled, causing Sissi to laugh.

"And what about Einstein?" she asked, suddenly changing the subject, "when are you two going to stop beating around the bush?"

"I don't know," Aelita replied, crestfallen, "I've tried making my feelings known to him for so long, and he either doesn't get the message, or he doesn't care. My father says he hasn't matured enough to be able to say what he feels, and that he says it in other ways."

"You talk to your father about Jeremie?" Sissi exclaimed.

"Yes, daddy knows Jeremie rather well," Aelita replied, "they've been, ahhh, working on some things together recently. Daddy likes him, I know that much."

"You know, I tried talking to daddy about Ulrich once," Sissi said, "he just grunted and turned the page of his newspaper. Sometimes, I just don't think he cares!"

"Just be thankful for one thing," Aelita said, "your father is here, and you can see him every day. Mine has only been around for a little while, and he's been too busy to spend a lot of time with me. And I just found out Sunday that he's going to have to leave soon."

Sissi was about to say something else when Aelita's cell phone rang. She quickly pulled it out and checked the display. She breathed a sigh of relief it wasn't Jeremie or one of the others. She answered it.

"Hello? Oh, hi Sophie!" she said, "yes, everything's been quiet. Yes, I think I can get away tomorrow afternoon, after class. At the studio? I'll be there. 'Bye!"

"So, Miss Pop Diva, was that the next step in your walk to fame?" Sissi asked.

"That was Sophie," Aelita replied, "before we left London, she told me that she'd wait a few weeks before calling me again, so all the excitement could die down. I'm going to meet with her tomorrow so she can tell me what we're going to be doing next."

"So, is it a record deal?"

"I don't think so. I think she's going to line up some performances for me locally, so I won't be away from school."

"You're still going to be available for school dances, aren't you?"

"Sure I will."

* * *

The next day, Aelita left school and went to the studio where the SubDigitals made their Paris Headquarters. She knocked, found the door opened, so she went in. Inside, it was empty, or so it looked. In the background, some of the band's music was playing. She walked around, looking for anyone. She turned a corner and stopped short.

Standing at the end of the hallway, locked in a very intimate embrace, were Sophie Delacort and Simon Groe!

"Oh!" Aelita squeaked, causing the couple to break up.

"Aelita!" exclaimed Sophie, still flush, "I didn't see you there!"

"I'm sorry," Aelita said, "I didn't think anyone was here. I should have called out."

"Don't worry," Simon said with a smile, "Sophie and I have been a couple for a while now, and we certainly don't hide it. You just caught us at an awkward moment, that's all. Well, I'd better get back to those tracks. The boys will be back later this afternoon, and I want to have them ready."

With that, Simon gave Sophie one last peck on the lips, and walked off to the sound booth, passing Aelita as he left.

"C'mon," the older woman said, "lets go sit and chat."

Aelita followed Sophie into her office and found a seat. Like the other times Aelita had been here, Sophie's office was barely organized chaos. There were documents and folders and pages piled on almost every horizontal surface above the floor, and a good bit of floor was covered too. The girl maneuvered around the clutter and sat down in the guest chair.

"I won't even begin to apologize for the mess," Sophie began, "it's been more hectic since we got back from London as it was before we left! But, that's a good thing; Chris and the others have got performance offers to cover the next three years, minimum. Plus, their record label is almost demanding a new album. That's what Simon is working on, pulling together some songs to demo to the suits. Well, chatting about the SubDigital's success was not the reason why I had you come down today. We need to talk about you."

Sophie paused for just a second, then continued, "all of those offers I just mentioned also included you. I've told them in no uncertain terms that you wouldn't be part of the package, at least right now. I meant what I said when we first started working together; I want to get you work locally for a while, so your school work isn't affected. And I think I may have the perfect thing."

"What is it?" Aelita asked.

"Simon and I have been talking with a man named Henri Bass. Bass owns and operates several nightclubs, and he's looking to expand into new areas. Just before we met you, he contacted us about an idea he had to open a youth nightclub in Paris. They would be almost like the nightclubs frequented by adults, but without the alcohol. As we've talked, he's refined the idea to be more of a rave type venue, instead of a nightclub. The way he describes it, the grungy, clandestine, abandoned atmosphere would be a big draw. Once again, no booze or drugs, just music and dancing, snacks and soda."

"Okay," Aelita said, "but what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, for the music part. I was thinking we could have you DJ at this club. Having Aelita Stones as a regular act, maybe with guest performances by the SubDigitals, would make the club a big success."

"It sounds interesting," Aelita said, trying not to commit to anything, "how often would I have to perform?"

"I'm not sure," Sophie replied, "that will be primarily up to you. I'll also be looking to attract other DJs to rotate with you, and I don't want you doing all night gigs, at least not unless you want to over the summer."

"Where is this club going to be?"

"Well, that's one of the most appealing aspects of this, Aelita. You know that old factory near your school? Henri is planning on setting up there. The main floor is perfect for dancing, he says. He's going to rope off most of the dangerous areas, lock the elevator down, and generally make sure that the kids can't accidentally hurt themselves falling into a hole. From what he says, he's looking to open up in about a month. So what do you think?"

Aelita kept her true opinion to herself. _The factory?!_

"It sounds like a good idea," Aelita said, keeping her voice neutral, "but I think I need to talk it over with my father before I can give you an answer."

"You go ahead and do that," Sophie replied, "I hate to rush you, but I really need an answer this week, so I'll call you on Friday if I haven't heard from you before then. In the mean time, how about we blow this stuffy joint and stretch our legs? I'm dying for some chocolate ice cream."


	3. Another Way In

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

While Aelita was with Sophie Delacort, finding out what was happening at the factory, the rest of the Lyoko Warriors were finding out the same thing, in a different manner.

Ulrich Stern and Yumi Ishiyama were walking in the park after a round of sparring, and happened to walk close to the factory. Looking out, they saw several trucks parked in the street in front of the bridge leading to the factory, men crossing back and forth, carrying equipment and supplies. The teens casually walked out and started across, until they were stopped by one of the workers.

"Hey! You kids! You can't come in here!" the man hollered.

"What's going on?" Yumi asked, feigning ignorance, "we poke around here all the time and nobody's ever stopped us before."

"We're going to build a club here," said the man, walking up to them, "name's Henri Bass. I'm leasing some of the space in this old place and opening a youth club here. It should be open in a month, but until then the place is off limits. We gotta do a lot of work inside to be sure it's safe, and I'd hate for nice kids like you to get hurt before my place even opens up."

"A club, you say?" Ulrich asked, "what kind of club?"

"A rave club," Bass replied, "a place where kids like you can come and dance and party and have a good time in a protected atmosphere. All the dancing and the fun without the alcohol and dope. It'll be great, you'll see!"

"When did you say this club will open up?" Yumi asked.

"About a month," was the reply, "tell you what." He reached in his pocket and pulled something out, business cards. He wrote something on the back and gave one to Ulrich and Yumi. "When we open up, come check us out," he said, "show that to the man at the door, and he'll let you in free. Believe me, it's gonna be great! Well, I've got to get back to work. Hope to see you there!"

With that, Bass turned and walked back to the factory. Ulrich and Yumi turned and started walking back to school.

"I'd better tell Jeremie this," Ulrich said, "we gotta figure something out and fast. If XANA attacks and we can't get to the factory, we're doomed."

As it turned out, Ulrich didn't have to tell Jeremie what was going on at the factory.

* * *

Jeremie was working at his computer in his room when Franz Hopper popped up.

"Jeremie, we have trouble," the digitized scientist said without preamble, "there are strange men moving about the factory."

"Can you give me a visual?" Jeremie asked.

Franz replied by opening several pop up windows in Jeremie's console, showing workers all over the main floor of the factory, and moving in several other parts, some dangerously close to the supercomputer.

"Any ideas?" Franz asked.

"None whatsoever," Jeremie replied, "have they found the supercomputer?

"No, not yet," was the reply, "but if they do, there's nothing I can do about it."

Suddenly, Jeremie's door burst open and Ulrich ran in.

"Jeremie! There are..."

"Men at the factory, I know," came the genius reply, "Franz just told me."

"Well, they're building some kind of dance club there," Ulrich went on, "it's supposed to open in a month."

"Great," Jeremie muttered, "I take it you weren't able to get inside at all?"

"No, the guy that's running the club caught Yumi and I when we went to investigate. He did give us free passes for the opening night."

"Great. Franz, keep an eye on things for now. I'm going to have to think about this for a while. Holler if it looks like they're going to find the supercomputer."

"Alright, Jeremie."

At dinner that evening, everyone except Yumi was gathered in the cafeteria, discussing the new wrinkle in their lives.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Odd asked.

"Find a way around the club," Jeremie replied, "surely they're not going to block every way in or out."

"When do we start?" asked Ulrich.

"Tonight," was the reply.

* * *

That evening, Jeremie, Ulrich and Odd crept out of school and made their way to the factory. Aelita kept an ear to the ground at school, ready to raise the alarm if it looked like they were missed.

The first thing they found was that then sewer entrance on the bridge was locked up. They had to backtrack a block and come up through a manhole in the middle of the street. The next thing they saw was that a large gate had been constructed across the front entrance, effectively barring their entrance.

"Looks like we're fresh out of luck," Odd said to no one in particular.

Next, they made their way down to the bank. There were signs along the bank that indicated that someone had been there earlier in the evening, but left. Walking a little farther down the side of the river, they came to where the sewer emptied out into the river. close by was a small boat, just tied up by one of the bridge pilings. The three boys managed to board the boat and untie it, then rowed across to the island where the factory was sited.

There was one other time when the gang had used this method to get in the factory, but there were rats involved that time. Now, with no XANA pressure, the three were able to explore around the base of the building a little more. They tried the entrance they had used the last time they tried this way in, but found it locked. Exploring around, they found other ground level entrances, but they too were locked up tight.

"Maybe we could pick the lock and replace it with one of our own," Ulrich suggested.

"That's an idea," Jeremie said, "but what if they check these doors on a regular basis; or even an irregular basis? If they find a lock they can't open, they'll change it out and we won't know until we need to get in and can't."

"Hey, guys! Over here!" Odd called out.

Ulrich and Jeremie joined their comrade. Odd had found a fire escape. A quick jump by the purple clad boy had the ladder down, and they scampered up to the landing. Ulrich was careful not to look down.

Jeremie tried the window, but it was locked or jammed. They ascended to the next level and found the same thing. On the third level, they hit pay dirt, the window was unlocked. They got it open and crawled inside.

"Anyone know where we are?" Jeremie asked.

"Yeah, this is close to the monitoring room," Ulrich said.

"Huh?"

"It's a room with monitors in it," Ulrich added, "we've had to run through here a couple of times. It's a bad place to have to fight XANA, though, there's no way out past a certain point, and Yumi and I always seem to wind up here."

"So, how is it for making out?" Odd added with a smirk. Ulrich replied by taking a swipe at him, which he easily avoided.

"Okay you two," Jeremie chided, "wait until you get back to your room. Can we get to the console room from here without using the elevator?"

"Yeah," Ulrich said, "this way."

They made it down to the console room, where Jeremie sat down and contacted Franz Hopper.

"Yes, I was monitoring your progress," Franz said, "hopefully that way will remain open after this club opens up. Another issue we may have to address are the security cameras. If they decide to use them, they may find the supercomputer."

"How much do you know about the wiring?"

"Enough. We should be able to isolate the supercomputer from the rest of the factory, but that will mean we won't be able to monitor the factory any more."

"You're just full of good news," Odd said.

"Well, that's about all we can do for now," Jeremie said. We're going to have to find a way to get across without using the bridge, and hope that we can still get in through the fire escape we found."

"Actually," Odd said, "we're going to have to pray that XANA stays quiet like he has. If he attacks now, we're in big trouble."

The next night, Odd and Ulrich reconnoitered the fire escape, only to find that the window had been securely locked. They reported the situation to Jeremie, then made their way back to school.


	4. New Business

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next morning was Saturday, which meant a half day of classes. The morning passed quickly, and the kids were released for lunch and the rest of their day. The Lyoko Warriors met up at the lunchroom door and entered together. After getting their meals, they found a table and sat down.

"So, this is what it feels like to be totally screwed," Odd said.

"We're not totally screwed yet," said Ulrich, "XANA hasn't attacked yet. When he does, then we'll be totally screwed."

"And I don't know how to get around this one," Jeremie said, "after all of the things XANA has tried to stop us, this is what finally does the trick."

"Could XANA be responsible?" Yumi asked.

"I don't think so; it doesn't feel right," Jeremie replied, "I checked out this Henri Bass guy on the web, and everything I come up with says he's who he says he is. Not even a hint of scandal."

"So now what?" Odd asked.

"I don't know," was Jeremie's reply, "I'm open to suggestions."

With that, the group finished their lunch.

When she finished, Aelita got up, told the group she'd see them later, and left. As she walked out, Sissi Delmas joined up with her.

"Huh? I wonder what's up there?" Odd mused.

* * *

Across town, Henri Bass was meeting with Sophie Delacort, Simon Groe and the rest of the SubDigitals.

"Look, is there anything that's holding you up on this?" Henri asked, "I've got people lined up to jump on this thing with us; the only thing stopping them is you."

"Why should we be the holdup?" asked Nico.

"The people I've got lined up want an easily recognized name associated with the place. And who would be better than The SubDigitals? Or, even better, Aelita Stones."

"Aelita hasn't gotten back to me," Sophie said, "and I should have called her yesterday to remind her. Now, this is something new. When we talked before, it was only going to be you, Simon and I."

"I know," Bass replied, "but some other people I do business with found out, and they're excited at the idea. When I told them you and Simon were involved, the first thing they asked me was, 'and what about the rest of the SubDigitals? Or that pink-haired chick?' Let me tell you, Sophie, that London gig sent your stock into orbit. These guys will lay down millions if either the SubDigitals or Aelita are on the bill; and more if they both are!"

"I'll have to discuss this with the boys," Sophie said, "and like I said before, I haven't heard from Aelita yet. Give me a little more time and I'll have an answer for you on Monday."

"Okay," Henri said, getting up to leave, "I just hope that the opportunity is still there on Monday."

With that, he shook everyone's hand and left. Once he was gone, Chris said, "okay, what's the problem? I like the idea of a youth club, and I don't think it will do the band's image any harm. Is there a reason why you're being cautious, Soph?"

"Yes there is," their manager replied, "while Bass is saying all the right things and pushing all the right buttons, I've got reservations. Guys, this isn't like making a deal for a gig that goes sour; this is investing money that you've worked hard for, and may never see again. If this works, you may never have to play another concert if you don't want to, and if it fails, I may not even be able to book a birthday party for you. Given what's happened to the band recently, I've had my BS radar dialed up pretty high, and while it's not going off, it's twitching. Simon and I were originally going to invest, then divert some funds to the band if things worked out, but Bass just raised the stakes, if I understood him correctly. He wants you in as partners, as well as Aelita, and that bothers me. I would think that just having you and her available to promote the club would have been good enough, but it doesn't seem that way now."

"But you were going to invest in it," Ben said.

"Yes, I'm seriously considering it," Sophie replied, "but the only one that gets hurt if I lose my money is me. You guys get hurt if I lose your money."

"How much are we talking about?" Chris asked.

"Everything you've got above already booked expenses," Sophie said, "if this works, you'll have enough for the next three albums, plus I might be able to get back ownership of the masters we've already cut; and that's just from the first year's profit."

"Wow," was all the band members could say.

"We could use this to start our own studio," Simon said, "start making music the way we want to, as opposed to what some stuffed shirt wants."

"And if it falls through, we're back to square one, or off the board entirely," Chris said, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'll take the chance."

Ben and Nico quickly agreed.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Odd was walking around the campus when he saw Aelita, walking and talking with Sissi Delmas. He had thought it odd that the two had met up after lunch, and they were still together. By now, they should have hurled insults at each other and stalked off. Something was definitely amiss in the world, and Odd Della Robbia was going to get to the bottom of it.

"So, Aelita," he said as he walked up to them, "has the Mouth that Roared got you tied up somehow? Or maybe you're under the spell of an evil computer virus that's making you be friends with Miss Swelled Head. I'll..."

Odd was cut off by Aelita. "Odd, Sissi and I were just talking. If you haven't figured it out by now, she's a friend of mine, so I'd appreciate it if you would tone down the insults. I'm not saying you have to like her yourself, but at least respect that I do."

With that, the two girls turned and walked off, leaving a very stunned boy in their wake.

As they left, Sissi asked, "did you really mean that just now?"

"Yes, I did," Aelita replied, "I know why the others feel the way they do about you, but I don't have to be guided by what they think. That's something they attribute to you, by the way."

"But, I...", Sissi started, but Aelita cut her off.

"I like who I like. If they don't like it, that's their problem. If you don't like my friends, that's your problem. I'm not saying we all have to love one another and have a big hug-fest, but I'm not going to like or dislike someone just because my peers like or dislike them."

Just then, Aelita's phone rang.

"Hello? Sophie, hi!" Aelita said, "oh, I forgot! I haven't been able to talk to daddy yet. What? Now? Well, I'll see what I can do. Bye."

As Aelita ended the call, Sissi asked, "what was that all about?"

"Sophie," Aelita replied, "she needed an answer from me about a new gig and I totally forgot about it. Now, she wants to see both me and my father as soon as possible."

"She wasn't mad, was she?"

"No, it didn't sound like it, but she seemed like she really needed to talk to us."

"Well, I guess that's it for the rest of the afternoon," Sissi said, "and I meant to ask you how I could get closer to Ulrich. You sounded like you had an idea."

"You could try the purple nincompoop we just left," Aelita said, "after all, Odd is Ulrich's best friend."

* * *

That evening, Aelita and Franz showed up at Sophie's apartment. When Aelita called her manager back after arranging for her father to make an appearance, Sophie suggested that the meet at her place.

Sophie lived fairly close to the studio where the SubDigitals recorded at. That section of town wasn't upscale, but it wasn't a slum, either. Most of the people they passed looked like pleasant, hard-working folk, rushing about finishing their last few errands before getting home to the family.

Father and daughter found the building and rang the bell, Sophie answered, then buzzed them inside. They made their way up to Sophie's floor, and finally found her apartment.

"Hello!" Sophie exclaimed when she opened the door. Franz and Aelita walked in to a fairly cozy place. They walked down the short hallway and turned into the living room, where Simon was waiting for them, a glass of wine in his hand.

"We weren't disturbing anything, were we?" Franz inquired.

"Oh no!" Sophie replied, "I guess Aelita didn't tell you that Simon and I were a couple. And I guess I didn't tell her enough; we're more than a couple."

"We've been living together for about a year now," Simon said, "actually, we're planning on getting married in the fall."

"Congratulations!" Franz said, walking over and shaking Simon's hand while Aelita wrapped Sophie up in a hug.

"Well, thank you both; but I didn't ask you here to announce old news," Sophie said, "Mr. Stones, earlier in the week, I told Aelita about an opportunity. A gentleman named Henri Bass is planning on opening up a youth night club in the old factory by Aelita's school."

"She has told me that much," Franz said as he and Aelita sat down on a couch.

"Well, the nature of that offer changed this morning," Sophie said, "Bass is wanting Aelita to come on board as part owner."

"What?!" Aelita exclaimed.

"Originally, only Simon and I were going to be investing in this club with Bass, but when we spoke with him today, he said that he not only wanted us, but Chris and the others, and you too. He said that he had told other potential investors that you would be involved in the project, and they evidently are hinging their investment on you, Chris and the others investing."

"What you are asking is pretty serious," Franz said, "we aren't just talking scheduling shows around Aelita's school. You're talking about a level of oversight I'm not sure I can provide for my daughter."

"I know," Sophie said, "but I think the idea is viable enough that I'm investing all of my savings into it."

"I'm doing the same," Simon added, "and Chris and the others are investing all of their free capital in this."

"Now, since you're just starting out, you don't have near the capital that the others have," Sophie said, "but you do have a sizable amount built up, and I believe that the return on investment on this venture will be at least thirty percent the first year."

"What about Aelita's tuition?" Franz said, "we were planning that her schooling would come out of her income."

"Mr. Stones, I believe strongly enough in this that I will guarantee Aelita's tuition until she graduates high school. There will be risks, but I will be watching very closely to make sure we all aren't being bled dry. And I meant what I said; I will write that guarantee into the agreement."

Franz Hopper was silent. "Aelita, what do you want to do?" was all he said when he spoke again.

"Let's do it, daddy," Aelita replied, "but I have some conditions."

"Like what?" Sophie asked, her face going blank.

Aelita told them what she wanted. When she was done, Sophie relaxed, because she was expecting something more outrageous.

"If Mr. Bass doesn't have a problem, I certainly don't," Sophie said.

"Tell Mr. Bass that my participation depends on this," Aelita said.

"Well, let's talk to him and see what he says," she said, reaching for her telephone.

Fifteen minutes later, they had reached a verbal agreement. On Monday, they would meet at the studio and sign the papers and authorize the transfer of funds.

Aelita Stones was now a part owner of a nightclub.


	5. Deals Are Made

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

First thing Monday morning, Aelita went to the principal's office.

"Mr. Delmas, I need to leave school for a while after classes today to meet with my father and my manager," she began when he showed her in, "and I also need for Jeremie, Yumi, Odd, Ulrich and Sissi to accompany me."

"Jeremie and the others, I can understand," the principal said, "but why Elizabeth?"

"Because I want Sissi to participate with the others," Aelita said, "as a matter of fact, perhaps you should join us too. This is something you should be aware of, and not just because of my participation in it."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

Aelita proceeded to do just that. When she had finished, Principal Delmas agreed not only to let Aelita and the others go, but also to accompany them.

* * *

That afternoon, the group arrived at the studio. Sissi tried asking Aelita why she was included in this, but Aelita said nothing.

Waiting for them at the front door was Aelita's father, Franz Stones. The pink haired girl walked over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss, before motioning everyone to come inside.

"Mr. Stones, good to see you again," Principal Delmas said as they entered, "I'm looking forward to meeting this Henri Bass."

"I am too," Franz replied, "I've been depending on Sophie's knowledge of him up to now."

Simon greeted them and ushered them back to Sophie's office, where she was waiting with the SubDigitals and Henri Bass, along with another person no one recognized.

"Afternoon, everyone!" Sophie exclaimed in greeting, "since we're all here now, we can get started. First, would like to introduce Henri Bass, and his attorney, Mr. Rousseau."

"How do you do," Bass said. Mr. Rousseau just nodded his head.

"Now," Sophie continued, "all we need to do is sign the contracts and transfer the funds, and we're set."

Mr. Rousseau passed out some documents to everyone except Sissi, her father and the Lyoko Warriors. Aelita looked over her father's shoulder at his copy of the contract.

"All of the terms agreed to are in the contract," Mr. Rousseau began, "unless anybody objects, Mr. Bass asked that I be retained as legal and financial counsel for the corporation. After the contracts are signed, we will need to hold and record a shareholders meeting, so the establishment of corporate officers can be documented. Mr. Stones, you will be the legal representative of your daughter in such proceedings, am I correct?"

"Yes, I am," Franz replied.

"Good. If everyone would review their copies of the contract, we can get it signed and move along."

While those involved were reviewing the contract, the teens, other than Aelita, were sitting there, being bored.

"I don't get it," Odd whispered to Ulrich, "what are we doing here?"

"Haven't got a clue, pal," Ulrich replied, "if it were Sissi doing this, I'd swear she was showing off, but it's Aelita."

"Hey! I'm over here, you know!" Sissi hissed.

Franz, in the mean time, perused the contract. Aelita had him go back and explain a few things, and when he couldn't, they both asked for clarification. Mr. Rousseau answered their questions, and they moved on. Finally everyone finished reading.

"Is everything satisfactory?" Bass asked the group.

"Alright," was the consensus.

With that, each participant went over and signed the original version of the contract. They then signed the authorization to transfer funds into the account of the new corporation. Franz Stones signed last, for Aelita.

"Excellent!" Henri said as Mr. Rousseau took up the signed paperwork. "Now, before we get bogged down in the boring details of running this show, we'll take care of Aelita's requirements."

While he was talking, Mr. Rousseau had put the papers away and pulled out a digital camera.

"I'll bet you kids were wondering why you were dragged down here today," Henri continued, "well, one of Aelita's conditions for participating was that her friends receive full access passes to the club, for life."

The gang's eyes got wide at that statement. Jeremie's mind went even further, _that means we can get in the factory again!_

Aelita just stood next to her father and smiled.

"She also demanded that you kids have keys to access the factory when it's not open, though I don't know why," Bass continued.

"Mr. Bass, I'll probably be rehearsing and testing out new music at the factory on a periodic basis," Aelita said, "and I'd like to do my practice when the club's not open. Sometimes my friends may need to help me, hence their access. Also, Jeremie is a whiz with electronics, he might be able to help out."

"I don't care if you want to do that or set up a love nest," Henri said, "just as long as club property isn't damaged. Truth be told, I was expecting something much more outrageous when Sophie told me you had demands."

"Well, I'm glad we could work it out," was Aelita's last word on the subject.

Mr. Rousseau took the gang's pictures and got personal contact information from them. he also said that once the club was open, they would have to get a pass card to show the bouncers at the entrance.

"Mr. Bass, if I may," Jean-Pierre Delmas finally said, "I am the principal at Kadic Academy, where Aelita goes to school."

"How do you do, Mr. Delmas, Henri Bass," Bass said, shaking the principal's hand, "I was going to drop by and see you at some point."

"Yes," Mr. Delmas said, "Miss Stones, told me about your plans, and I think we need to have a discussion. I have some concerns about your project, especially since it is so close to my school."

"I'm sure you do," Henri said, "and I will be happy to listen to them. However, I have to complete my business here, first. How about I come to school tomorrow and we talk."

"That would be fine."

* * *

It was late evening before Aelita got back to her dorm. Jeremie and the others left after Mr. Rousseau got the information he needed, and they had their first corporate stockholders meeting. Henri Bass was elected Chairman of The Board and Chief Operating Officer, with Sophie as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Rousseau was elected as Legal Counsel and Treasurer.

After the meeting broke up, Sophie invited Aelita and the band out to dinner to celebrate. Franz had to decline, saying he had to get back to his work. Sophie assured him that Aelita would get back to school safe and sound.

When Aelita finally got back, she kicked off her shoes and flopped on her bed, exhausted. Just as she did, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"It's Jeremie," came his voice on the phone, "you did this to get us access to the factory again, didn't you?"

"Yes," she replied, "it was the simplest solution to the problem, without us having to break in every time we need to get to Lyoko."

"Have I told you recently that you're wonderful?" Jeremie asked.

"No, you haven't; and it's good to hear."

* * *

Elsewhere that evening, Henri Bass was relaxing in one of his clubs. It was a very trendy and exclusive club located in the upscale section of the city. He was in the office he kept there, looking out on the monitors at the patrons enjoying themselves at the bar and the dance floor, when his door opened and someone walked in.

"Hello, Henri; long time no see," came a man's voice.

Henri turned around to the visitor and just about dropped the drink he was holding in shock. The man that stood before him was about middle aged, with dark hair just starting to grey. He walked over to Henri's bar and poured himself a scotch.

"Vittorio! What a surprise," Henri said as he stood up to greet the man.

"You didn't say pleasant surprise," the man, Vittorio, responded, "but, I don't blame you. Sit down, my friend, there's nothing to worry about! I just dropped by to hear about your latest venture."

"The youth club?" Henri asked.

"Yes," was the reply, "I find it interesting that you chose the old factory on the river for your place. There's much too much room there for your small venue."

"I don't actually own the building," Henri said, still a little wary, "it was sitting there useless, so I just went in and leased it out. The owners were ecstatic to get some income from it, so they agreed to my price. It has the look that will draw the kids in, so I'm set."

"It doesn't hurt that you have such well known talent associated with it, does it?"

"That will help a bit. So, why the sudden interest? I didn't know you were in the nightclub business."

"I'm not," Vittorio replied, "but I'm always looking to expand my horizons. You know, Henri, you have been one of my more profitable investments."

"I've repaid your loans," Henri said, "and your interest. I owe you nothing."

"I know, I know," Vittorio replied, "but we have a relationship, you and I; and I like to keep my relationships current. I prefer dealing with people I know; they have less of a tendency to surprise me."

"What do you want?"

"If it's your club you're worried about, don't. I have no interest in listening to teenaged girls squeal and whine about their lip gloss or the latest boy band. No, I'm more interested in the factory than your club. I want to use part of it for some of my own ventures."

"Like what?"

"Henri, do you really want to know?"

Bass was silent for a moment. Vittorio Santini was a mobster, and a powerful one. When Henri was starting out, he made the mistake of borrowing money from Vittorio to open his first club. Santini then proceeded to bleed him dry with the interest on the loan. It was only by a miracle that Henri was able to come up with the money to redeem the note, and do it in such a way that Vittorio couldn't retaliate. That was fifteen years ago. Now, the snake was in his grass again, and Henri had a decision to make.

"No."

"Are you certain, Henri?" Vittorio said, "I'm not actually asking you to participate, I'm just asking for a little room. Oh, and I want a couple of my men on your staff, just to protect my interests."

"No, Vittorio," Henri said, "if you want the factory so bad, why don't you just go and buy it? I know you have more than enough to do so."

"Because, it could be traced back to me," Vittorio replied, "and I'd prefer not to have that complication in my life. If you're worried about income, I'll pay you more than enough to compensate for any trouble you might have to go through."

"Depending on what you are up to, there isn't enough money in the world to do that," Henri said.

"You wouldn't believe just how little money it would take," Vittorio replied, "and there are other benefits to working with me. Since I would have an interest in your club becoming a success, I would be in my best to see your club prospers. I have many contacts that would be useful to you. And I could also see to it that nothing... untoward, happens to the club or anyone associated with it."

A lump of ice formed in Henri's stomach at that remark.

"It would be a shame if some of the lighting developed a fault and injured some children," Vittorio said, "or, if that cute little DJ you signed on had an accident. And, of course, accidents don't just happen on the job. I understand your niece is getting ready for her First Communion soon. Your brother and his wife seem like such nice people. But, in today's world, you can never tell what might happen..."

"All right!" Henri bellowed, "I get your point. I'll give you some space. Call my office in the morning and we'll set up a meeting. I'll show you the layout of the place and where I'll be setting up the club, and you can tell me what your requirements are."

Vittorio Santini smiled. "That would be fine, Henri. And I meant what I said about paying you. Giuseppe will call in the morning to set up a time."

As he rose up to leave, Vittorio added, "you won't regret this, Henri, I assure you."

After the man left, Henri said to himself, "I already do."


	6. Preparations

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next three weeks were a blur of activity for Aelita. With the access passes, the gang could now get to the supercomputer whenever they wanted to, as long as they were careful. They now had to take a stairway down to the main floor, then go to the lower level, go across and climb the ladder to the catwalk, then duck in the passageway that led to the console room. It wasn't that difficult; they just had to make sure no one saw them do it.

Henri Bass almost threw a wrench in their plans when he announced that the lower level was going to be used as the dance floor where Aelita would hold court. He even dubbed the new room, "The Pink Paradise." When Odd heard that, he pantomimed sticking his finger down his throat and throwing up, just to show what he felt about the idea.

Jeremie then pointed out that they would have to position Aelita's mixing board somewhere, and what better place than on the walkways, somewhat close to the entrance to the console room. The place would be dark when the club was open, except for the mood lights and a spot trained on Aelita, so they should have no trouble slipping into the supercomputer if they needed to. Also, they could tell everyone that the room was Aelita's dressing room, and keep everyone out. That seemed like a good plan, so the gang went with it. Bass and company didn't seem to mind, so that crisis was settled.

The Lyoko Warriors became a familiar fixture around the new club. Mostly, it was to get everyone used to the idea of seeing the kids there on a regular basis and at various times; but it was also because they were genuinely interested in what was going on. Except for Jeremie that is.

The first week Jeremie had the new access, he assisted one of the workers in getting the video surveillance system working. He made sure all the areas the club needed were hooked up into the club's monitoring system, and that the supercomputer wasn't able to be monitored. Oddly enough, there was another area that wasn't supposed to be monitored by the club's system, the lower assembly room and the rooms attached to it. The blond genius thought it a little odd, but went ahead and wired it the way they wanted, making sure that those areas could still be monitored from the supercomputer.

Once he got that done, and helped get Aelita's mixing board and sound system set up, he seemed to lose interest in the club. Whenever he would go to the factory, he would immediately head for the supercomputer and disappear.

Aelita noticed this, but couldn't do much about it. She was busy with the setup of her venue, selecting her wardrobe for performances, and working on mixes to play when the club opened. She also rehearsed with the SubDigitals, because they were going to be at the Grand Opening of the club, performing on the main floor. Aelita would perform a couple of mixes of their songs as part of the performance, then withdraw to her venue to entertain for the rest of the evening.

A few times when she saw Jeremie duck away, she would begin to stop him, but he always disappeared before she could get a word out. When she tried talking about the club to him at school, he would listen politely for a few minutes, then change the subject. By the time the club was due to open, his behavior was really starting to upset her.

* * *

While the Lyoko Warriors were getting everyone used to their presence around the factory, Henri Bass was getting all of the schools used to his presence.

The day after the contract was signed, Bass met with Jean-Pierre Delmas, as well as the principals and headmasters of several of the schools in the area. By the time of the meeting, all of them had heard of the forthcoming youth club, and had definite questions and concerns.

The meeting was held at the factory, on the main floor, as the workers were making their preparations. Bass had given them a tour, and was now going to address their concerns.

"First of all," he began, "let me thank you all for coming here today. I think "The Factory" will be a wonderful addition to the social scene of your students."

"I'm sure you do," one principal said, "but as you've gathered, we have some specific concerns about your club. For one: how late will it be open?"

"Until 1am Friday and Saturday nights," Bass replied, "Wednesday and Thursday, it will be open until ten."

"You must realize," Jean-Pierre Delmas said next, "that our schools have curfews for boarding students. For instance, 9:45 pm is the curfew at Kadic. Students attending from my school will be out past curfew if they leave at 10."

"I can certainly announce that your school's curfew is nigh," Bass replied, "then it would be up to the individual to decide whether or not to break the rules."

"Which is precisely what they would do!" exclaimed another principal, "Kadic Academy is walking distance from your club; my school is thirty minutes driving time away! I've already heard rumors of students carpooling over, and then doing God knows what afterwards! Your establishment is giving my students a license to party themselves senseless!"

"I would submit you, ma'am, that your students already party themselves senseless," Bass retorted, "and at more dangerous venues. Look, ladies and gentlemen, let's be honest. Your students are out half the time getting into some kind of mischief, and that isn't going to change. What I'm bringing is a safe environment for them to play; an environment in a known location with stated activities going on. There won't be alcohol or drugs in my place, and I will put down troublemaking before it get dangerous. And, if you give me information about your students, I will inform you about any of their antics. And, if you let me know, I will turn away any student you identify. Think about it; my club can be the ultimate carrot. Misbehave and they will be barred from my club; do poorly on exams and be barred. Perform well, and not only can the student go and party, you can extend the curfew to enable them to get back. Ladies and gentlemen, this club will be a hit, and your students will want to come here. What I can offer you is yet another tool in your arsenal of discipline techniques."

"How would you implement this?" asked another principal.

Henri Bass smiled to himself, _I've got them now; all the rest is details._

"Well, one of my staff will be in contact..."

* * *

Aelita Stones and Sissi Delmas were sitting in Aelita's room, going over fashion magazines of all things. While Aelita Stones the student generally preferred a simple wardrobe, Aelita Stones the DJ had to be a lot more flamboyant, which meant she had to dress a little more trendy. And Sissi knew the trends, if anything.

"Hey, what about this?" the principal's daughter said, holding up a magazine so Aelita could see the picture.

"Nice," Aelita said vacantly.

"So, you think you'd like a subscription to _PlayGirl_?" Sissi said, clearly realizing that the pink haired girl's head was somewhere other than on her shoulders.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Aelita replied, still not paying attention.

"So, you like looking at pictures of naked men," Sissi said next, clearly enjoying the exchange.

"Yeah," was the response.

"Including... blond headed geeky types?"

"Sure."

"So, you've seen Einstein's love muscle!"

"What! Sissi, where did that come from?!" Aelita exclaimed, finally returning to reality.

"Aelita, you were so far gone that I could have made you agree to pose for a tampon commercial," Sissi said, laughing, "and you would have agreed to model the product!"

Aelita's face got red at the teasing.

"Seriously," Sissi said, calming down, "what's the problem? You were spaced out like you were somewhere else."

"Oh, nothing," Aelita replied, though her facial expression indicated that it wasn't just nothing."

"Is it really nothing, or is it a blond headed nothing?"

"Okay, you got me," Aelita replied, "I'm worried about Jeremie."

"Why?"

"Well, for about a week after we signed the contract, Jeremie was all gung-ho, helping get the club set up. Now, he avoids it like the plague."

"I didn't know."

"He's also been avoiding me. We hardly ever talk, even at meals. He's either in his room on his computer or off in his own world somewhere. I'm really worried about him."

"Sounds like Jeremie to me," Sissi said, shrugging, "he was always doing stuff on his computer before you came. After you got here; well, you did computers with him too. You still do that, don't you?"

"Of course," Aelita replied, "just not a lot recently. I've let the club take up all of my free time."

"Look, the way I see it, he's on the shy side," Sissi said, "yeah, I know he hangs out with you and the others, but he's not so good with social situations; whereas you, thank God, don't have that issue. I don't remember Jeremie ever going to a school dance or party, and if he did, I bet he just sat on the sidelines watching everyone else have a good time. But now..."

"Now with this club, I'll be there and the center of attention," Aelita said, "and it makes him uncomfortable."

"Right. So, all you have to do is let him know that you'll still be there for him, and maybe it would be nice for him to be there for you."

"Do you think that will work?" Aelita asked.

"Sure," Sissi replied, while thinking, _when you can turn lead to gold._

* * *

On the boy's dorm level, two blonds were engaged in a somewhat similar conversation.

"Jeremie, is there something up between you and Aelita?" Odd asked his genius friend. The two boys were in Jeremie's room, Jeremie ensconced at his desk, working on his computer, while Odd was lounging on Jeremie's bed.

"No, Odd, what makes you think that?" Jeremie replied, not turning from his video screen.

"Well, for the past couple of weeks, it seems like you've been avoiding Mrs. Einstein like the plague."

"That's because she's so wrapped up in the club," Jeremie replied.

"Well, why aren't you helping her out?"

"Because she doesn't need my help. Look, Odd; I know what you're trying to do, and it's okay. Aelita's been busy getting ready for the club's opening, and I've been busy with Lyoko. I've been real concerned that XANA hasn't attacked since London, and I'm trying to figure out what he's up to."

"Jeremie, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth," Odd said, "XANA's been quiet, and that's great! Kick back and enjoy it! Get a little 'me' time with Aelita, you know?"

"That would be great, right up to the time that XANA drops a freakin' moon on us or something like that," Jeremie retorted, "I doubt that he's taking a vacation, and it's been bothering me that we haven't got a twitch of him anywhere on the network."

"Well, maybe you destroyed him back in London," Odd said, hopefully, "I told you that you should just set that gauntlet on BFG and leave it there."

"As much as I would like to think that I killed XANA," Jeremie said, "I seriously doubt I did. But, if I get a line on him, and I weakened him in London, maybe we can kill him once and for all. If we could do that, being without Aelita for a while will be worth it."

* * *

"Well Giuseppe, how are things progressing?" Vittorio Santini asked his brother. The two men were at Vittorio's house, in his study. Elsewhere in the house, Vittorio's wife was entertaining Giuseppe's wife, while their children were playing outside, supervised by several of Vittorio's bodyguards.

"Fine," was the reply, "like you wanted, we've got the assembly room and the lower aqueducts for our use. I've made sure that the surveillance of those areas is separate from the rest of the club. Everything's up and running, and we're ready to move in."

"Good," Vittorio replied, "it's taking longer than I expected to get all of the equipment and supplies I need to set the lab up, but we should be able to start production in a couple of weeks."

Giuseppe nodded. He was thin and his black hair slicked back emphasized his receding hairline. He was the elder brother, but Vittorio always had the better sense for business, and Giuseppe respected that. Giuseppe was the muscle to Vittorio's brain.

"I've got two of my boys on the club's security staff," Giuseppe continued, "they'll stay in the background and direct the bouncers in their duties. I've specifically told them to stay out of sight as much as possible, so as not to alarm the police."

"Good. Have you gotten the word out that the factory is off limits?"

"Not yet. Even if I did, some asshole will probably still try and make trouble there."

"Still, get the word out. And when said asshole makes trouble, make an example of him. I don't want anybody making the police any more interested in that factory than they may already be. And when the Bliss starts to flow, I want The Factory to be the last place anyone thinks of."


	7. Operation: Invite

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next few days brought new faces to the factory. Two of them were the new senior security staff for the club, Gennedy Checkov and Anitoly Tupelev. They were rough and tumble looking men, Russian in origin, and said they had quite a bit of experience running security in nightspots. Henri Bass didn't look all that happy they were here, but welcomed them anyway.

For all of their outward gruffness, the two Russians were polite towards Aelita, Sissi and Sophie, and casual with everyone else. It was hard to understand their French sometimes, due to the accents, but they were generally able to get their point across.

The third new face wasn't all that friendly, however. Henri introduced him only as Giuseppe, and said he was a representative of the company that was subletting the assembly room. Henri also said that under no circumstances was anyone from the club to go into that section of the factory without a specific invitation. Giuseppe's company was working on some very sensitive projects, and their privacy was guaranteed by the lease agreement.

One good thing that came along with the new faces was an infusion of cash. Bass instructed Sophie to make sure Aelita had a wardrobe ready for the club's opening, which was that Friday.

"You heard the boss," Sophie told her protégé, "let's get you a few more things."

* * *

Odd Della Robbia was walking towards the school's Rec Room, minding his own business, when a door swung open, and he was grabbed by the collar and pulled into an empty classroom.

"Hey! What's the big deal!" he hollered.

"Shut your mouth and I'll tell you," replied Sissi Delmas, "you're going to help me with a couple of problems I have."

"Now why on earth should I help you?" Odd asked.

"One: it will help Aelita," Sissi told him, "and two: you want to keep that mangy mutt in your dorm, right?"

"Kiwi is not mangy!" Odd retorted.

"Whatever. You are going to help me insure that Jeremie goes with Aelita when the club opens this weekend, and you are going to escort me to the opening."

"I don't have a problem with the first part; but I'll die before I let myself be seen with you again. I've got a reputation to uphold, you know."

"Yeah, a reputation as a first class loser. You've dated every girl in class except Aelita and me, and I seriously doubt you want to be dating your cousin. And another thing, we've already gone out together."

"Which I will never live down," Odd said.

"Well, you're going to do it again, and you're going to act like you're enjoying yourself or it's bye-bye rat-dog."

"Kiwi is not a rat-dog!"

"You know, I hear they give a dog a week in the pound before they gas 'em," Sissi said, "when the week's up, they put 'em in a box, and ssssssss, all gone!"

"Why you..." Odd was about to add something more, but the look in the principal's daughter's eyes would brook no defiance.

"Oh, all right!" he finally said, "just because it's for Aelita! And I'll meet you at the factory!"

"No, you will meet me at my dorm and we will walk over together," Sissi said, "and you will smile and show me a good time for all of the cameras."

"What cameras?"

"Oh, didn't I say," Sissi said, twisting the knife, "all of the newspapers will be there for the opening. There'll be photographers everywhere; along with a TV crew. As a matter of fact, it may be the same crew I interviewed with after London. My picture is going to be plastered all over the society pages; so you'd better not screw this up for me!"

* * *

Aelita and Sophie were walking down the aisle in the Misses section of the department store. They had already picked out several outfits for Aelita to wear in the coming weeks. The only thing left was what Sophie called "foundation garments."

"Underwear?" Aelita queried when they arrived in the lingerie aisle.

"Of course," Sophie said, "if my memory serves me correctly, you could use some more frilly things."

"But I have underwear," Aelita replied.

"Yes you do, and they look to be about a year old. Aren't they getting a little tight on you?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought it was because I was getting fat."

"Aelita dear, the last thing you are getting is fat. You are, however, a growing girl. Besides, here we are, out buying all of these cute things for you to wear; do you really want to wear Underoos beneath them?"

"N-n-no," the pink haired girl replied.

"Well then, let's pick something out. Not too outrageous, mind you; you're a bit young to be buying real hunting clothes, but you do need something that'll make you feel a lot better about yourself when you're scouting the territory."

Sophie then proceeded to embarrass the girl with a pair of gossamer thin panties, then another pair little more than thread holding a couple of spots of cloth. Aelita blushed fiercely when she did, causing the older woman to laugh. They settled on something a little more appropriate for her age, yet would still set hearts afire if someone were to see them.

* * *

"Any problems to report?" Giuseppe asked his two plants.

"_Nyet_," Gennedy replied, "only problem is no vodka."

"Remember, this is an establishment for underage teens," Giuseppe admonished, "drink on you own time in your own room."

"_Da, da,_ we are understanding," Anitoly said, "give kiddies good time, make sure no one get hurt."

"And remember the other thing you're supposed to be doing."

"Watching out for troublemakers. Some bastard sell dope, we kill him good."

"Not in the factory," Giuseppe said, "not anywhere around the factory. Find them later and do the deed. Make sure it's messy enough to make our point."

"_Da, da._"

"One more thing. If anyone: police, reporter, anyone, starts getting interested in what's going on in our operation, I want to know about it."

"Even in club?"

"Especially in club."

* * *

Sissi's plan was relatively simple. First, convince Aelita to ask Jeremie out on Friday. Next, make sure the girl dresses to blow Jeremie's mind when she does it. Lastly, make sure nothing and nobody derails Aelita's attempt. So, on Thursday, the day before the club's opening, she set her plan in motion.

_Part One -- Convince Aelita To Ask Jeremie:_

"Aelita, you're going to have to make the first move in this case," Sissi told the girl, "even your father said so. What you need to do is go up to his room right now and ask him."

"But what if he says no?" Aelita replied.

"If you ask him the right way, he won't say no," Sissi replied.

"If you're expecting me to harass Jeremie like you do Ulrich, you can forget it," Aelita said.

"I know, I know," Sissi admitted, "and I'm not asking you to do that. All you need to do is go to him and ask."

"Alright, let's say that I do that," Aelita said, "what next?"

"First, wait until right before curfew..."

_Part Two -- Make Sure She Dresses Up:_

"I can't do that!" Aelita exclaimed.

"Why not? It's not like I'm telling you to walk naked into his room," Sissi retorted.

"B-but... I just can't!"

"Look, let's be honest here. While you may not match me in looks, you definitely got looks. We both know Einstein's got it bad for you; this will just put his mind into overload, where you'll be able to get him to agree to anything."

"That seems a little underhanded," Aelita said, not quite convinced.

"It is," Sissi replied, "and it's the best weapon we've got. Girls do it all the time in one way or another."

"You know, you're starting to sound like Sophie," Aelita said.

"That's because she already knows what I'm telling you. Now, you wear this, and you talk nice and gentle to him, and he'll be putty in your hands; you just wait and see."

"Well," the pink haired girl said, "I'll give it a try. But I'm NOT walking in the halls dressed like that. If Jim sees me, I'll be doing detention for a month, let alone what daddy might say."

"You leave Jim to me."

_Part Three -- Making Sure The Coast Is Clear:_

Fifteen minutes before curfew, Sissi got out her cell phone and dialed.

"Okay, Odd; show time," was all she said.

Two minutes later, there was a horrendous _crash!_ on the Boy's Dorm level, followed by loud barking. Thirty seconds after that, Jim's voice boomed out.

"HEY! Get back here! Della Robbia, is that a dog? WAIT! STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Seconds after that, Jim's voice could be heard outside, huffing and puffing as he ranted.

Sissi quickly moved to Aelita's room.

"All clear," she said to the huntress, "now get out there and get your man!"

_Finale -- Bag 'Em And Tag 'Em:_

Aelita, dressed as Sissi recommended, shuffled nervously before she finally nodded and left, clutching the opening of her bathrobe tightly. As she left, her bare feet made soft padding sounds on the floor. Word about what was going on had gotten around to the other girls on the floor, and more than a few of them cracked open their dorm room doors to see if Aelita was actually going to go through with it. Milly and Tamiya had wanted to tag along and interview the couple for the newspaper, but Sissi told them in no uncertain words what would happen if word of this ever leaked out.

Aelita made her way to the Boy's dorm level and went to Jeremie's room, fully self-conscious of what she was doing. There were some boys in the hall, who eyed her quickly before going back to whatever they were doing. Each glance gave the girl the feeling that she had "Naked Underneath," tattooed on her forehead. She quickened her pace and went to Jeremie's door, softly knocking when she arrived.

"Who's there?" came his voice.

"It's Aelita," she croaked out.

"C'mon in," Jeremie said.

Aelita entered and shut the door behind her. Inside, Jeremie was sitting at his desk, dressed in his pajamas, working on his computer. He didn't even turn around when she entered and shut the door behind her.

"Hi, what's up?" he asked without turning around.

"I... ah, wanted to drop by for a minute before I went to bed," Aelita began.

"Sure; what's up?" Jeremie said, still not turning around.

Aelita took a deep breath, then took off her robe. If Jeremie heard anything, he didn't register it.

"I.. I was wondering if you would come to the club's opening with me Friday night," she finally got out.

"I really can't, Aelita," Jeremie replied, "I'm still trying to get some kind of line on XANA. As a matter of fact, we may have to take the Skid out and do a little recon tomorrow night if I don't find something."

"Couldn't it wait one night?" Aelita asked next.

"The last thing I want is to let my guard down too much," Jeremie replied, "as soon as I do, XANA's gonna pop up and do something really nasty."

The girl stood silent a moment, then walked over to the boy in the chair. She pressed herself against the back of the chair and his back, then gently laid her hands on his shoulders.

"Jeremie, it would mean a lot to me if you came," she said, "do you remember the first concert I did?"

Jeremie swallowed before replying, "yeah, I remember."

"Before the show, I was nervous, scared and sad," she said, "but when you showed up with Jim, everything turned around. You gave me the strength to go on that night. This Friday is a big thing for me, and I'm just as scared as I was back then. But I know if you're with me, I can do it."

"Aelita," Jeremie said in a softer tone, "of course you can do it. I may not be into what you do, but I know that you're good at it." Then he added in a softer voice, almost a whisper, "besides, you don't need a geek like me there holding you back."

There it was, just what Sissi had said. Jeremie didn't think he would fit in.

Aelita bent down until her mouth was next to Jeremie's ear. As she moved, she took her arms and wrapped them around Jeremie's chest, pulling him into a hug, causing the boy to stiffen up at the display of affection.

"Jeremie, you don't hold me back," she said softly in his ear, "you enable me to fly. You truly are the wind beneath my wings. When you're with me, I know I can do anything, accomplish anything."

She then straightened up and swiveled Jeremie around to face her, then took a couple of steps back. When he saw her, he squeaked in surprise. Aelita wasn't wearing the sleep shirt she normally wore. She was wearing a tee-shirt he had gotten her soon after she came to earth, a white tee with a picture of Einstein sticking his tongue out. The only problem was that the shirt was too small; it was tight everywhere, leaving almost nothing to the imagination, and short in the torso, so it would never tuck into pants or a skirt. Tonight, she wasn't wearing either.

Aelita had spent many an evening in Jeremie's room, wearing nothing more than her underwear, her sleep shirt and socks, and it never bothered Jeremie. Now, however, she was wearing a shirt tight enough to look painted on and barely reached the top of her panties. And said garment was something else Jeremie had never seen before. They looked to be made of nothing but white lace which gave him excellent hints of _other_ things previously hidden.

Jeremie's mind vapor-locked.

"Jeremie," Aelita said as she stood before him, "come with me Friday night. Let me lift you up like you have lifted me up all this time."

Jeremie just stared at her, dumbfounded. Finally, he stammered out an, "okay."

Aelita went back to him, leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. The blond genius flailed his arms a bit before deciding to wrap them around her. She responded by straddling the chair he was in, sitting on his lap. They stayed like this a moment, hugging each other close as they drew out the kiss.

"Thank you," she said, before rising back up, turning, and walking to the door. She stopped long enough to put her robe back on and add, "besides, if XANA does pick Friday night to attack, the whole gang will be right there at the factory, ready to go."

With that, she turned her head back to him, gave him a parting smile, and left.

It was ten minutes before Jeremie recovered from Aelita's visit. He started to turn back to his computer, then realized that there was no way he was going to be able to concentrate any more that evening. He logged his workstation off and settled down in his bed for the night.

Most nights, all of Jeremie's doubts and fears would replay in his mind, which was why he spent so many nights working on his computer. Tonight, however, Jeremie fell deeply asleep; his mind was filled with Aelita, the soft haze of white lace and pink, the warm feeling of her against him, and the moistness of her lips on his.

* * *

Odd had to do some quick running to dodge Jim. He then had to do some quick talking to stay out of detention when Jim confronted him in his room over the ruckus he had supposedly caused.

Jim never realized what actually transpired, and never figured out what the noise had been all about. After hearing Odd's story, he just shook his head and muttered something about crazy kids before going back to his apartment for the night.

* * *

Sissi heard the soft slap of bare feet on the floor, signaling that Aelita had returned. She stuck her head out the door, and saw Aelita opening her door to go in.

"How'd it go?" she called out.

Aelita turned to the girl, her face beaming. That was all Sissi needed to see.

After closing her door, Aelita took off her robe, flopped on her bed, buried her face in her pillow, then squealed in delight.

She had done it.


	8. Opening Night

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next morning, Aelita and Jeremie seemed to be the new stars of the school.

In the showers that morning, Aelita was pestered by six different girls, wanting details of her "make out session" with Jeremie last night. Others just said that they never thought she had the nerve to do such a thing. Still others were contemplating similar actions themselves, hoping it would have the same result. Then, of course, there was the smart aleck who wondered aloud if this meant Aelita and Sissi would be hogging the girl's shower together, so they could primp for the day. It was almost all Aelita could do to get out and back to her dorm in one piece.

Jeremie had a similar situation, though of course the comments were different. Several of the older boys snidely welcomed Jeremie to the Men's Club, while others around Jeremie's age asked if it really happened. One boy even gave Jeremie a condom, stating that Jeremie was more than likely to have a use for it than he did.

Odd and Ulrich weren't spared any questions either. Some of the guys would ask if they heard any bumping noises coming from Belpois' room. One particularly tactless lad wondered out loud if arrangements could be made for Aelita to visit his room. That boy barely made it out of the showers alive.

With all this going on, breakfast was very interesting.

Aelita met up with the gang at the cafeteria entrance, and blushed profusely when she saw Jeremie. Jeremie turned red when he saw her, and it didn't help matters any when the whole lunchroom erupted in whoops and catcalls when they entered. They went through the line getting their meals, then found a table.

The group was silent, except for the odd comment to a passerby in response to a comment they made. The new Couple Of The School studiously avoided looking at each other, afraid if they did, their heads would explode; though they did sneak glances at the other when they thought the other wasn't looking at them, only to turn away when they caught the other looking back. Odd and Ulrich thought the whole scene was hilarious.

"C'mon, you two!" Odd said, "the way you're acting, you'd think half the crap they're saying about you is true!"

"But nothing happened, Odd," Aelita protested, "I just asked Jeremie out to the club tonight."

"Yeah, Odd," Jeremie added, "and that's ALL THAT HAPPENED." Jeremie emphasized the last by raising his voice so the whole cafeteria heard.

"Jer, chill," Ulrich said, "we know nothing else happened, but even if this stuff wasn't running around, you two would still be acting the same way. Relax! You two have got to know where the other stands now."

Slowly, Aelita and Jeremie turned to each other, their faces still red with embarrassment. After a second, both teens smiled. Jeremie reached out and took Aelita's hand, and gave it a small squeeze before letting it go.

"You're right," he finally said.

"Hi, guys," came the voice of Yumi Ishiyama. As she walked up to join them, she added, "anything interesting happening?"

* * *

The car pulled to a stop at the factory and two men got out. One, the driver, was Giuseppe Santini; the other, a young man, in his mid twenties. He was tall and thin, with dark hair, a sharp face, and steel gray eyes behind almost antique looking eyeglasses.

"This is where you'll be staying," Giuseppe said, "Gennedy and Anitoly work for me, so anything you need, you ask them."

"I live here?" the man said, "what about relaxing? Drinks? Girls?"

"There'll be time enough for that once you get the lab up and running," the older man said as they reached the factory entrance. Giuseppe saw that the gate was already unlocked, which meant that either Henri Bass, Gennedy or Anitoly were already there.

"Once you get to the lab, you don't leave unless you're with me, Gennedy or Anitoly," Giuseppe continued as they walked down the stairs, "do not interact with anyone associated with the club. Be rude if you have to."

They reached the main floor and started walking towards the assembly room. Henri Bass noticed them, but paid them no mind.

"That was Bass. Say nothing to him. Over there is Gennedy and Anitoly. You need anything, let them know, like I told you."

As they passed the elevator, both men noticed a painter working. He had already painted a picture of a pink haired girl, and was now working on lettering.

"She's cute," the man said, "I'd like to meet her."

By this point, the men had reached the stairway that led to the assembly room.

"Vladimir Ptcharsky, you will not go anywhere near that girl, or any other girl around here," Giuseppe said, "I've heard about your tastes in companionship, and we cannot afford that kind of trouble here. Once the lab is up and running, we'll let you have a little fun, but well away from here. If you do anything that draws unwarranted scrutiny to this place, you will watch while I personally fry your balls up then feed them to you."

* * *

Towards the end of breakfast, Jim Moralés came around.

"Mail Call!" he called out, then started calling out names.

Aelita was about to get up and put her tray away when the gym teacher called her name.

"Stones! Mail for you!"

Curious, Aelita went and took the proffered letter. Since she had no living family, she never got mail. As a matter of fact, this was the second piece of mail she had ever gotten, the first being a postcard from Jeremie, redirected to her from Canada.

This letter was more of a personal note. The envelope was made of very fine paper, and the writing on it carefully written, as if it had been drawn by an artist rather than written by a person. Holding the flap of the envelope down was a wax seal, which had a design on it the girl didn't recognize.

Aelita carefully opened the envelope and saw there was an equally fine page inside. It was smallish, more someone's personal stationary rather than a full sized business letter. She opened the page up, and saw at the top of the page, "Buckingham Palace." Aelita's eyes went wise as she realized who had sent her the letter. It read:

_Aelita,_

_I have been informed of the opening of The Factory, and couldn't resist taking a moment to congratulate you. I hope everything goes well for you at the opening tonight, and pray you have success in all of your future ventures._

_Sincerely yours,_

"_Mrs. Windsor"_

"Well, who's it from?" Jeremie asked her. Aelita said nothing, but handed him the note. He quickly scanned it, then whistled in appreciation before handing it back to her.

* * *

When Giuseppe and the other man, Vladimir Ptcharsky, reached the assembly room, they were greeted by a surprise visitor.

"Morning gentleman," Vittorio Santini greeted them. The man was sitting on a stool next to one of the tables set up in the room, wearing nothing but a bathing suit. Around his neck was a towel he had obviously used to dry off with. Next to him, on the floor, was a discarded diving suit, breathing apparatus and what looked like a cutting torch.

"Good to see you made it, Vlad," Vittorio said.

"You like morning swim?" Vlad asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do," the boss replied, "but that wasn't what I was doing this morning. Below this level is an aqueduct. The river actually flows under this building. What I was doing was cutting some of the grates leading inside. I also took the opportunity to test whether or not getting supplies in here would be a problem; it won't."

"Vittorio, you should have said something, "Giuseppe admonished, "your wife would never forgive me if something happened to you."

"Don't worry," Vittorio replied, "working underwater was one of the first things I did for Uncle Max all those years ago."

"And Uncle Max would have busted your ass for working alone," the older brother said, "he always said the sea was a fickle bitch who would just as soon stab you in the back as kiss your ass."

"Okay, okay," Vittorio conceded, "when I go back out, you can spot for me. I'll be working on the grate at the tip of the island."

"Fine. But first, I need to get our resident chemist here settled, so he can start setting up the lab," Giuseppe said.

"Great!" replied Vittorio. Then to the other man, "Vlad, I want a production sample by tonight. You think you can deliver?"

"I check lab first," Vladimir replied, "if looks okay and you got supplies, shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

After classes ended for the day, all of the students filed out and headed back to their rooms or home to get ready for the opening. Mr. Delmas made an announcement that for the opening all of the students were going to be allowed to go, subject to parental approval, but further trips there would be subject to how well a student was doing in classwork, and whether they were under any kind of disciplinary restrictions. The principal made it clear that the club owners were actively participating in this program, and there would be no exceptions.

As all of the kids rushed out, Aelita snagged Jeremie before he could get swept away.

"Jeremie, come with me to the factory," she asked.

"Why? Don't you have to get ready?" he replied.

"Yes, but my clothes are at the factory," she told him, "and I've got a surprise for you."

"'Lita, the surprise you gave me last night was enough," the genius replied, growing concerned.

"Silly, it's nothing like that," she told him, "just come with me; you'll see."

The couple left the campus and headed into the park. Out of habit, they went to the manhole cover the Lyoko Warriors always took to get to the factory. Jeremie even had the lid half way off before he realized they didn't need to go that way.

"This is going to take a little getting used to," he said, "we've always taken the sewers."

"It probably wouldn't do to smell like sewer water tonight," Aelita added.

With that, they walked to the edge of the park, exited onto the sidewalk, and made their way to the factory. When they got there, there were only a couple of cars there.

"Do you know who's there?" Jeremie asked.

"Probably Henri, Gennedy and Anitoly," Aelita replied, "they're always here in the afternoons. Giuseppe may be here, too; I think that's his car."

"What's the deal with him, anyway?" Jeremie asked as they crossed the bridge.

"I don't know, but I don't like him," Aelita replied, "he works in the part of the factory subleased from Henri, so I don't see him all that often. But he gives me the creeps every time I do."

They got to the factory entrance and saw that the gate was already unlocked. Aelita opened the gate and the teens entered. They got inside just as Anitoly walked up to the entrance.

"Aelita, Jeremie," he said in greeting, "tonight big night, _da_?"

"Yes, tonight's the big night," Aelita replied with a smile, "and how are you today?"

"Good, good," the Russian replied, "but no vodka. Boss says no vodka before club opens. Twelve hours. Damn."

The only thing the two teens could do is silently nod in commiseration. Then, Anitoly added, "painters are done. You want see?"

"Sure!" Aelita replied. With that, they hurried down to the main factory level.

When they got there, Anitoly pointed at the elevator and said, "what you think?"

Jeremie looked at the elevator, and his jaw just about hit the floor. Someone, a graffiti artist by the looks of it, had painted a picture of Aelita on the door to the elevator, then wrote, "Aelita's Palace," next to it. Aelita went over to the lift and pressed the call button. When the elevator arrived, Aelita got in and motioned to Jeremie to join her.

"C'mon, I'll explain downstairs," she said.

Jeremie joined her, and they started down. "This had better be real good," he told her as they descended.

The elevator stopped when they got to the console room. The door opened and the two walked in. Jeremie just about had a heart attack when he saw the state of the room. In one corner, next to the ladder leading to the other levels, was a small dressing table, with a rack of clothes next to it and a partition folded up just beyond it. On the other side of the room was a small couch and some chairs.

"What happened here?!" Jeremie exclaimed.

"Well," Aelita began, "the other day, Sophie and I went clothes shopping. We bought a lot of stuff, and she wanted me to put it someplace at the factory where I could get dressed before I performed. Well, remember said said I was going to use the console room as a dressing room? I kinda couldn't keep Sophie from coming down here, so I had Gennedy open the elevator and brought her down."

"And?"

"I told her we found this place a couple of years ago and have been using it as our clubhouse," Aelita said, "and that was the reason why I wanted the access for you and the others, so we could keep using our spot."

"What did you say about the supercomputer?"

"Nothing. I just told her that this was some old junk we found here, and there was more on the levels below. I said one of the things you liked to do was tinker with the console there, and you even got it working as a computer. You tinker around on it and sometimes we use it to play video games. Jeremie, she doesn't suspect a thing."

"Who else knows," Jeremie said next.

"Henri, Gennedy and Anitoly," Aelita said, "Sophie got the idea of painting the elevator door and opening it back up. Gennedy and Anitoly got the furniture for me and set it up down here. They said the only ones they'd let come down were me, the gang and Sissi. Otherwise, only who I would escort."

"Why Sissi?"

"Because she has a pass, so they think she's one of the gang. It'll be alright as long as we stick to the story. Even daddy is okay with it."

"That's right, Jeremie," came Franz Hopper's voice from the speakers. The console display lit up and his image appeared on the screen. "I was just as shocked as you when I saw Aelita and Sophie come down here the other day," the scientist said, "but I heard Aelita's story and determined it was very plausible, partially because it closely parallels the truth. This way, you kids don't have to always invent some excuse to come down here. As long as no one looks too closely, hiding in plain sight will work as well as hiding. And, if it looks like we're going to compromised, We can launch a Return To The Past to forestall it. In any case, the damage is done, and I've already reprimanded Aelita for not checking with someone before going ahead with it."

"Great, so now what?" Jeremie said.

"Now, I'm going to get dressed for tonight," Aelita said as she walked over to the folding partition and unfolded it, "while you sit at the console and concentrate on Lyoko and XANA."

"And, Jeremie," Franz added, "you will pay close attention to the display; no wandering eyes now."

* * *

Odd stood at the door and fidgeted a moment with his shirt collar. He didn't often wear collared shirts, let alone dressy ones, but tonight was a special night, and he felt the need to dress accordingly. As such, Odd decided on a dress shirt and suit. But, Odd, being odd, wore a purple suit. His parents had gaped at him like he was mad when he asked for it, but figured it was his life and purchased it. He even added a fine gold chain around his neck to complete his ensemble. All in all, the outfit looked pretty good on him.

Of course, it didn't help that his shirt collar felt like the leash Sissi had around his neck.

He gave one last sigh and knocked on the principal's daughter's door. There was a quick, "just a minute," followed by the door opening.

Odd had to admit, he was impressed by what he saw.

Sissi stood in the door wearing a sequined strapless red dress that fell to just above her knees. The left side had a slit that went just about to the girl's hip, showing a lot of leg. She didn't have her dark hair bound back by clips or a headband, and it cascaded down on to her shoulders. Around her neck, she was wearing a heart shaped pendant.

"Well, you're on time, anyway," she said in greeting, "come on in for a moment; I've just got to put my shoes on."

She opened the door wider, then retreated back into the room. Accepting the invitation, Odd entered, looked around a bit, then finally sat down on the edge of her bed. Meanwhile, Sissi had gone over to her closet and was rummaging around. She found what she was looking for, a pair of tennis shoes, went over to her chair, sat down and began to put the shoes on.

"That seems a strange choice for shoes, given the rest of your outfit," Odd said.

"Dummy," was the response, "I'm not about to walk all the way over to the factory in heels. I'll carry them in my bag and change when we get there."

Odd had to admit, that was a sensible idea. For a moment, the blond boy had images in his mind of her riding piggy-back on him there and back. Sissi put on the last shoe, then stood up and got her bag.

"Okay, I'm ready," she announced, "and remember what I said, Odd Della Robbia; you show me a good time for the press tonight, or your dog's done for."

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it," Odd said.

As they left, Sissi added, "oh, and by the way; you look really good tonight. You should clean up more often."

* * *

Ulrich Stern, being who he was, didn't ask anyone to the opening. Several times over the preceding few days, he tried to work up the courage to ask a certain Japanese girl he knew, but always chickened out in the end. It didn't help matters that Odd spent the afternoon primping for the night, and what was even more surprising that he was going out with Sissi of all people. The brown haired boy asked his roommate several times what hold the principal's daughter had over him, or what drugs he was taking. Odd just said that Sissi was the last girl in their class he hadn't dated, other than Aelita, so he was just rounding out the set. With that, Odd left.

Ulrich waited about an hour before setting out himself. He changed clothes for the occasion, but it was just another version of his usual green shirt, tee shirt and pants. He quickly made his way over to the factory, then settled by the entrance to the bridge to wait.

It was about fifteen minutes before she came into view. Yumi Ishiyama was wearing a black shirt, but instead of dark slacks, she went with a dark skirt that fell just below her knees. She was decked out somewhat like a punk rocker, even down to the boots she normally wore. Tagging along behind her was her brother, Hiroki, along with his friend, Johnny.

"Hey, Ulrich!" she shouted as she got close, "I hoped I'd find you here."

"Just waiting for a friend to show up," he replied with a smile.

With that, the two "friends" hooked up and walked across to the factory. Behind them, Hiroki was making kissing noises at the couple, while Johnny shuffled along, heartbroken.


	9. Welcome To The Factory!

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Jeremie Belpois was studiously examining the display of the console before him. A couple of times, the boy genius was sorely tempted to turn his head to try and catch a glimpse of Aelita. He even once started to turn his head, but a stern _ahem!_ from Franz Hopper kept the boy on task.

Once again, his scans showed no sign of XANA anywhere on the network. It had been so long since XANA had appeared that Jeremie was starting to believe that he had actually destroyed XANA back in London. But caution and paranoia won out, and he kept the scans running.

Aelita, in the meantime, had changed out of her school clothes and into her costume for the evening. For the first part, playing with the SubDigitals, she chose a burgundy tank top emblazoned with a pink skull and cross bones, a lighter red skirt and sandals. To top it off, she wore a belt with a large strawberry for the buckle and a pink ribbon choker. Sophie and the others had told her it was just the thing for her stage persona, but Aelita thought it just looked silly.

Finally dressed and makeup applied, she stepped out from behind the partition and walked over to the working genius. She leaned against the console seat and softly blew into his ear, causing Jeremie to jump and turn around.

"I'm ready," she said with a smile, "let's go on up. I'm supposed to be in a greeting line with the others when everybody comes in."

* * *

In the assembly room, Vladimir inspected all of the equipment and found it satisfactory. He spent a lot of time on one particular set of equipment, kept within a large plastic box with gloves around the inside. While he did this, Vittorio had gone out and cut down the other grate he meant to remove, and now he and his brother Giuseppe were standing by watching the chemist work.

"Is there a problem with that?" Vittorio asked.

"_Nyet,_" was the response, "but must be making sure it's well sealed. This handles last step of process. If vapors get out, we all get very happy."

* * *

The elevator door opened and Jeremie and Aelita stepped out on to the main factory floor. People had started arriving by this time, mostly kids from Kadic. The couple received a few greetings and waives as they walked over to where Sophie, Simon, Henri and the SubDigitals were standing, talking.

"Aelita! There you are!" exclaimed Henri Bass, "Gennedy told me you were here, but I was starting to worry."

"I was just getting ready for tonight," Aelita replied, "you remember Jeremie?"

"Of course," the man replied, "how are you tonight, son?"

"Fine, sir," Jeremie replied, "congratulations on your opening."

"Thanks. I guess you know everyone else here," Henri said. He then said to everyone gathered, "so, we'll press the flesh for about an hour, then Aelita and the boys will do their set. Once they're done, we'll take a break while Aelita goes and sets up in The Paradise, then we'll finish out the evening. Gennedy will be close by Aelita in case anything crops up down there, and Anitoly will be on the main floor. If you need anything, give them a shout and they'll see you get it. Okay, is everybody ready? Let's make some magic!"

* * *

Odd and Sissi showed their club passes to the bouncer at the entrance and were quickly allowed inside. They went down to the stairway to the main factory level, which was starting to fill with people. Odd saw Aelita and Jeremie standing over with a bunch of adults, and the SubDigitals, so he fairly well dragged Sissi with him as he went over.

People were filing by the celebrities, shaking their hands and speaking briefly. Each personality doing the greeting smiled, pumped the well-wisher's hand twice and said something polite in return. Odd and Sissi made their way down until they got to Aelita and Jeremie. Jeremie stayed behind Aelita as she greeted everyone, and was ecstatic to see two of their friends.

"Odd! You were able to make it!" Aelita exclaimed, pulling the boy close and pecking his cheek. Odd sputtered a bit, and Jeremie tensed up behind Aelita, but settled down when the pink haired diva did the same to Sissi.

"Watch it, girly," Sissi said, but smiled all the same.

"Okay, Raoul, later," Aelita replied, causing Jeremie to almost choke.

"Raoul? What's that about?" Sissi asked.

"Don't worry about it," Aelita reassured the principal's daughter, "it's a private joke between Jeremie and me. I'll tell you later."

Once clear of the greeting line, Sissi looked about for a place to change her shoes and store her tennis shoes. She spotted Anitoly over by the refreshment bar and went over to him.

"Anitoly? Is there someplace I can put my shoes? I need to change into something more dressy."

"Go change shoes, then leave bag with me," Anitoly replied, "I see no one take."

"Thanks."

"No problem, 'Lizbeth."

"My name's Sissi!"

"But 'Lizbeth sound so much better," Anitoly chided, "sound like queen."

* * *

Ulrich and Yumi made their way down to the factory, then ran the gauntlet of the greeting line. After wishing Aelita good luck, the couple made their way over to the refreshment bar, where they both got sodas.

"So," Ulrich began, "you gonna dance with Johnny tonight?"

The Japanese girl gave him a sharp look.

"And why should I..." she started before Ulrich interrupted her.

"I seem to remember once I took a girl that had a crush on me to a dance," he said, "nothing came of it, but she had a great time. C'mon, he's not that bad a kid, and he's helped us out a time or three. It won't kill you to do it, will it?"

"I guess not," Yumi replied, "so, let me turn the tables on you; are you going to dance with Sissi tonight?"

"Not if I can help it," Ulrich replied.

"Not even for the same reasons why you want me to dance with Johnny?"

"That's different. If I give her the slightest opening, I'll never be rid of her."

"So?"

"Well," Ulrich started, then blushed as he continued, "I'm kinda waiting for someone."

"Oh," Yumi replied as she too blushed.

"Say," he next said, "we don't have to spend the whole evening together if you don't want too, but could I have the last dance of the evening when the time comes?"

"We'll see," Yumi replied, "we'll see."

* * *

Most of the people who came to the opening that evening were kids, middle-school, early high-school age. There were a few adults there too; representatives of some of the area schools, come to see how The Factory would operate; the press, covering the opening and getting first impression of the venue. Even a few parents came to see what all the excitement was about and if the place was really a safe environment for their kids.

And then there were people that didn't fit into any of those categories.

"Hello, Aelita," said a tallish man in English, "I see you've recovered from London quite nicely."

"Captain Harkness?" Aelita exclaimed, surprised.

"Yes," replied Capt. Jack Harkness.

Aelita had met Capt. Harkness in the aftermath of XANA's attack on London. He worked for an organization called the Torchwood Institute that investigated "unusual incidents" that happened in Brittan. Why he was in Paris this evening was a mystery to Aelita.

"I happened to hear about your venture here," Harkness continued, "and decided to pop by and say hello."

"Jeremie," Aelita said, "this is Capt. Jack Harkness. He was the one who brought me home after London."

"How do you do, sir," Jeremie said, extending his hand. Capt. Harkness took it and they shook.

"So, all this a little overwhelming?" Harkness asked.

"A little," Aelita replied, "look, it's about time for the first show to start, and I have to get ready. Why don't you and Jeremie talk for a bit. I'll try and see you later, okay?"

"No problem," Harkness said. Then, he said to Jeremie, "so, if I plied you with enough drink, you think I could get a peek at that supercomputer of yours?"

* * *

When the band started, Vladimir was just finishing the first step of the process. He was working very carefully, evaluating each step and its outcome, making sure that the equipment was working as he expected it to.

"Is it always going to take this long?" Vittorio asked him.

"_Nyet,_" Vlad replied, "once checked out, process will go faster."

"About how much product will we get," Giuseppe asked.

"One liter," was the reply.

"One liter?" Vittorio said, "that's not much."

"One liter concentrate," Vlad said, "it like syrup for soda pop; mix with carbonated water, get much soda. Mix this with water, get much Bliss."

"How are we to deliver it?"

"How you want deliver? Drink not good, stomach acid break down. Inject, very good. Inhale, pretty good. Higher concentration, soak through skin, good. What was done in Siberia was spray bottle, like for colds? After while, marks wanted more potent, so gave injectable version. Also, kept some undiluted."

"What for?"

"Euthanasia. Some want others to pass away, but not suffer. Bliss very good for that."

"What was the call for that?" Vittorio asked.

"Enough so that liter was not cut," Vlad said, "liter last about three months. Order come in for 30ccs, we draw out and deliver. Days later, news come of someone dying very happy."

"Are we talking about murder?"

"Maybe, who knows," Vlad said, "most time was someone with sick family member. Nothing doctors could do, and family member suffering. They take Bliss, give to family member, they pass on."

"You know, that was an angle I never thought about," Vittorio said, "something like that could almost be considered a public service."

"Whatever," Vlad said, "now, no more talking. I need do next step in process."

* * *

Aelita started of the evening with a mix she did in the first show she did with the SubDigitals. She had rehearsed that enough so that what she needed to do was engraved in her memory. As soon as the music started, people started dancing. While she was working, Aelita glanced over and saw Jeremie talking with Capt. Harkness by the refreshment bar. Elsewhere on the dance floor, she caught a glimpse of Odd and Sissi dancing together, and Ulrich and Yumi. That sight especially warmed the pink haired girl's heart.

Then the mix ended and the crowed applauded. Almost immediately, the SubDigitals launched into their piece while Aelita set up for her next number. A part of her sorely wanted to go drag Jeremie away from Harkness, and dance with him along with the others, but she didn't have time. Hopefully, she would have the chance for at least one dance with him this evening.

The band finished, and Aelita immediately launched into her next mix. After that came a surprise for the audience. Aelita began another mix, and was suddenly joined by the SubDigitals. She softened her music and let the band play in the foreground, while her mix stayed in the background. When they came to the end of a verse, she would jump back to the foreground for a few moments, then the band would resume. This went on for a few numbers, until the finale. This was an instrumental, where Aelita weaved her mix in and out of the band's playing. When they finished, the crowd exploded in applause. Aelita took a bow, then grabbed a towel to mop the sweat from her face.

Henri Bass then appeared and took the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he began, "let's give Aelita and the SubDigitals a big round of applause!"

The crowd went wild again.

"Now, there will be a thirty minute break, then Aelita will be performing in the Pink Paradise, while the SubDigitals will be performing on the main floor. So, feel free to move about and enjoy the music. As you know, there are refreshments over here and just off the stairway in the Pink Paradise. So, relax and have a good time; we'll be back shortly!"

Aelita left her board and made her way over to Jeremie.

"So, what did you think?" Aelita asked him when she arrived.

"Good," Jeremie replied, "I especially like the last bit. How long did you and the band practice that?"

"A good little while," Aelita replied, "I'm sorry, Capt. Harkness, but I have to take Jeremie away from you now."

"Oh well, another heartbreak," Harkness replied, "one of these days, I'd really like to see that computer of yours."

He then pulled out a couple of business cards and handed one to Aelita and Jeremie. He then said, "if you ever need anything, call me. If it looks like the supercomputer is going to be compromised, call me. If at all possible, I'll try and cover for you. I can't go into details, but we have a very close relationship with the French Government, and we might be able to get you out of any trouble short of murder or treason."

With that, Captain Jack Harkness shook both Jeremie's and Aelita's hand, then turned to go. Before he left he added one more thing, "oh, and if you ever run into someone calling himself The Doctor, do two things. One, call me; I'm very interested in the man. Two, stay as close to him as you possibly can; because whenever he pops up, it's a pretty good indication that there's trouble afoot, and sticking close to him is probably one of the safest places in the universe to be."


	10. Paradise And Bliss

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Aelita took Jeremie by the hand and led him to the elevator. The car was still at the factory floor level, so the door opened right up. Some people tried to get in with the couple, but some bouncers politely but firmly told them to back off.

When the door closed, Jeremie said, "whew! I'm glad you rescued me, Aelita. You know, I think that guy was actually hitting on me!"

"He did the same to me," Aelita replied, "one of the Queen's assistants told me that Captain Harkness had 'a rather liberal view on relationships.'"

"It must be really liberal, then," Jeremie agreed, "he was really giving me the creeps."

The elevator stopped at the console room and the couple got off. As soon as the door closed, the image of Franz Hopper appeared on the console display.

"Congratulations, honey," he said, "you were wonderful!"

"You saw?" Aelita asked.

"And heard," Franz added, "I was able to instantiate a polymorphic clone, and it tapped into the sound system. You're very good."

"Only because you taught me, daddy," Aelita said, "now, if you will excuse me, I need to change."

As she walked over to the folding partition and disappeared behind it, Franz told Jeremie, "you know the routine, sit and concentrate on the screen."

* * *

Sissi had to admit, when he wasn't being a jerk, Odd Della Robbia wasn't that bad a person. They danced together for the first couple of songs, then they drifted apart for a while. Sissi didn't think that was unusual; she would have probably done it herself if he hadn't beat her to it. But after the music ended, he appeared again, this time with two drinks. He handed her one.

"I figured you'd probably need this by now," he said.

"Thanks," she replied, "I'm kinda surprised you did this."

"I try to show a girl a good time," Odd said, "besides, this is for Aelita."

"And Kiwi," Sissi said.

"And myself," Odd said, "if I really didn't want to do this, I would have found a way around it, Sissi. Truth be told, I've always kinda wondered about you."

"Why? Because you see I'm a much more interesting person than you thought?"

"Yeah, you could say that. You know, we have talked before."

"Of course we have! I'd say something to Ulrich and you would insult me!"

"No, I don't mean that," Odd said, "you remember a while back, you had an online friend you were supposed to meet?"

"Yeah, how do you know about that?"

"It was me."

"No way!" Sissi exclaimed, "that boy was way too sensitive to be a boor like you!"

"And you weren't the stuck up prig we all know and loathe," Odd retorted, "you know, if you let that side out a little more, and stopped trying to grab Ulrich all the time, you wouldn't be all that bad a person."

"And maybe if you engaged your brain before you opened your mouth, you wouldn't be the idiot that you are," Sissi shot back.

"Yeah, that's what everyone tells me," Odd agreed, "look, it's about time for Aelita to perform; so, do you want to go down to the Paradise, or stay here and listen to the SubDigitals set?"

"Let's go hear Aelita," Sissi said, taking Odd's hand, "we can hear her do a couple of mixes, then come back up if we want to."

* * *

It only seemed like a few minutes before Aelita stepped out from behind the partition.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked Jeremie and her father. Jeremie turned to look as Franz got a perturbed look on his face.

Aelita had replaced the burgundy tank top with the Einstein tee-shirt she wore last evening when she asked Jeremie out. To draw some attention away from her maturing assets, she had thrown on a pink and red vest. The skirt was replaced with a pink micro mini skirt.

"Aelita, that may be a little too much," Franz said, understating his true opinion.

"Don't worry daddy, I'll be above the crowd on the walkway around the room," Aelita assured him, "security won't let anyone up there but me and the gang unless I approve. The only other way there is via the access from the console room. So, Jeremie, what do you think?"

"I think my nose is going to bleed," he said.

The teens lounged for around fifteen minutes; Aelita sipping on a bottle of water she had gotten before coming down, Jeremie on a soda. At one point, Franz brought up an image.

"Jeremie, what do you think about this?" he asked.

Jeremie looked at the picture, which showed three men in the assembly room. One was working at some laboratory equipment while the other two looked on. You could tell that every now and then one of the observers asked a question, because the man working at the equipment would stop, look their way and say something. As Jeremie examined the feed, Aelita got up and came over to look.

"I don't know," was the genius reply, "is this real time?"

"No, it was from a few minutes ago," Franz replied, "I've been monitoring the security feeds all through the factory since you rewired them. I've been curious what our tenant was up to. Now I have a little better idea."

"So, they're mixing some kind of chemicals?" Aelita asked.

"It could be anything," Franz replied, "Jeremie, if you start seeing a drop in available storage, it's because I'm watching these people. If it becomes an issue, let me know and I'll stop."

"I don't think it will be an issue for a while," Jeremie said, "besides, we can always compress the images to pick up room."

Just then a voice came down from the access way to the outer room.

"Five minutes," Sophie's voice called out, "you two break it up now. It wouldn't do to have our star all mussed up when she performs."

"We've got to go, daddy," Aelita said, "will you tap in for my performance?"

"Of course, sweetheart; knock 'em dead."

With that, Franz's image disappeared from the display and went dark. Aelita walked over to the ladder leading up to the access and started to climb.

"Coming, Jeremie?" she called back.

"I'll be up when you've gone up," he replied, "somehow, I've got the feeling that shirt isn't the only thing you're wearing from last night night."

She turned her head and gave the boy a predatory grin. "The only way you'll ever find out is if you're right behind me," she said.

Jeremie sighed, got up and went over to the ladder. Just as he started up, Aelita resumed her climb. And sure enough, she looked to be wearing the same kind of underwear she was wearing last night.

"Aelita, what has gotten into you," he asked as he finally joined her at the access.

"I don't know," she replied, "maybe it's the rock 'n roll DJ persona taking over. Or maybe I like making you blush."

She then reached out, grabbed him by the front of his shirt and drew him close, their faces millimeters apart. "Or maybe I'm trying to tell you something. It'll be fun watching you figure out which it really is."

* * *

Yumi and Ulrich stayed together during the session on the main factory floor. When Aelita and Jeremie left for the console room, the pair drifted towards The Pink Paradise, Aelita's venue.

"So, are you going to make Johnny the happiest boy on earth?" Ulrich asked.

"Are you going to make Sissi's day?" she retorted.

"I don't know," the brown haired boy said. He then looked around and spotted something that interested him. "But, maybe I'll make someone else's day," he cryptically said before walking off.

Ulrich waded through the crowd to his destination. Milly Solovieff was standing next to her friend Tamiya. He tapped the girl on the shoulder and asked, "could I speak to you a moment, Milly?"

"Sure!" the girl replied. Ulrich guided her a few steps away and spoke to her in low tones. Once, Milly said, "no!" but Ulrich said something else that made the girl relent. Finally, she said, "okay, but you owe me at least one dance before the night's out."

"Fine, as long as it's not the last one," Ulrich said, "I've got that reserved.

He then asked Tamiya, "are you taking pictures for the paper?"

"Yeah," was her reply.

"Well, keep an eye on Milly," Ulrich said, "I may want a copy of those pictures after tonight."

With that, Ulrich walked off leaving one very confused seventh grader in his wake.

* * *

After Aelita let Jeremie go, she turned and went to the other end of the short corridor. She waived at Sophie, who was standing next to the mixing board. At that signal, Sophie announced, "and here she is, Aelita!"

With that and the applause of the crowd, Aelita stepped out. She smiled and waived to the crowd, then made her way over to the mixing board. Sophie receded into the dark as the spotlight fell on the pink haired DJ. Aelita put on her headphones, waited a second, then started her playing.

Jeremie followed her to the walkway around the venue, then slid down and sat to watch the performance. When they had decided that this floorspace was to be used for Aelita's performances, one of the first things Jeremie and the others did was set up black curtains at both ends of the access way to the console room. That way, light from the console room wouldn't leak into the Paradise, tipping people off that there was something back there, and it allowed someone to slip unnoticed into the console room while the music was playing. Jeremie had drawn the curtains at the console room end shut, and when he had sat down, drew those curtains open a little so he could see Aelita perform.

And for the second time tonight, Aelita Stones worked her magic on the crowd. Here, she wasn't constrained by the needs of the SubDigitals; her only constraint was the mood and flow of the crowd. She weaved music about and around, drawing the dancers to a state of almost frenzied excitement, then easing them back down. For a while, she kept the tempo at a slow pace, then, she gradually built it up.

In the crowd, Johnny was moping at the edge, wishing he had the courage to at least ask Yumi for a dance, when a hand reached out and grabbed him. Startled, he looked at the person grabbing him and saw his crush, Yumi Ishiyama, pulling him out on the dance floor.

"C'mon, Johnny," she said, "you don't want to spend all night sitting on the sidelines, do you?"

Thinking he had died and gone to heaven, Johnny followed her into the crowd. They found a spot and Yumi started to dance to the beat. Johnny tried following along, but couldn't quite catch the rhythm. He very nearly knocked Yumi over a couple of times, and after the second time, she stopped him and helped him dance a little better. With coaching from her, the sixth grader was able to actually enjoy his dream moment.

While Johnny was getting schooled in the ways of dancing, Hiroki Ishiyama was getting a similar lesson, but from Milly Solovieff. Milly asked Hiroki, rather than just dragging him out, and giggled a little when Hiroki stammered out a yes. She took him and danced with him, remembering an earlier dance when a crush of hers, Ulrich Stern, had done the same for her.

Odd and Sissi danced with each other for a while, then drifted off to other partners. Odd, for the most part, seemed satisfied to dance alone, but Sissi found several other boys to partner with, including, much to her surprise, Ulrich. During a fast song, Ulrich seemed to just appear next to Sissi, and they started dancing. He stayed with her for a couple of songs, the drifted off to dance with Milly Solovieff.

Another boy seemed to take an interest in the principal's daughter. He was tall and looked to be a junior or senior in high school. He had dark hair, with red accents. They danced a few times, then drifted apart, then back together again. Finally, he asked her if she was with someone, to which she replied yes, but not too closely. He then asked if he could buy her a drink, to which she agreed. They both left the Pink Paradise and returned to the main factory floor.

* * *

In the assembly room, Vladimir had been working at the final station for some time now. The music from the SubDigitals, playing on the main factory floor, seemed to dictate his pace. He would spend some time at one side of the plastic box, his hands stuck in the gloves in the side, turning various knobs and valves. Then, seemingly satisfied, he would move to one of the other sides, stick his hands in the gloves there, and fiddle more with the equipment inside. Finally, he came to the last side, where he took a bottle and held it under a small pipe. He turned a valve and a clear liquid began running from the pipe into the bottle. He waited until the liquid stopped flowing, then capped the bottle. He then took a sponge, soaked it in something, and wiped down the outside of the bottle. Then he capped the bottle, and took some tape and wrapped it around the lid and the neck of the bottle. Finally, he carefully set the bottle down, removed his hands from the gloves, and flicked a switch. Inside the box, a fan started whirring.

"So, what's the verdict?" Vittorio Santini asked.

"Equipment good," Vlad replied, "congratulations, you have first bottle of Bliss concentrate."

"What were you doing at the end," Giuseppe asked, "with the bottle, I mean."

"Oh, making sure no Bliss on outside of bottle," Vlad said, "at this concentration, skin contact will cause drug to work. I clean bottle off with acid."

"Acid?"

"Citric acid, lemon juice," Vlad said with a smile, "you can even drink it afterwards. Oh, vent system routes exhaust through a filter of citric acid. It very important juice in place before operation starts. If something happen to isolation box, douse area with lemon juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, whatever."

"Why are you using lemon juice?" Vittorio asked.

"People get curious when you buy much hydrochloric acid," Vlad said, "same with sulphuric acid. Nobody asks questions when you buy lemon juice. Bliss break down at almost any level of acidity."

"Could that be a problem in people?"

"Maybe. But not so far. Once in body, Bliss uses nervous system, like neurotoxin. You start feeling tickle at entry point, and traveling up, Bliss is moving. When you start feeling like best blow job in world, Bliss is in brain. When all you think of is greatest orgasm ever, Bliss in full effect. Now..."

Vladimir went back over to the isolation box. He put on the gloves and took the bottle of Bliss and put it in a drawer in one side. He then went over and opened the drawer and pulled out the bottle.

"Here you go. Mix this with thousand liters water, neutral pH, and you got something more precious than gold or petrol."

* * *

Aelita looked at the clock she had mounted on her mixing board, and saw it was about time to call it a night. This was the part she was waiting all night for.

"Hi, everyone!" she said into a microphone set up by the board, "looking at my clock, I see it's about time to call it a night. So, this will be the last number of the evening, and it will be a slow song. So, grab that special person and dance along. Thank you all for coming, and I hope to see you here again!"

With that, she queued up the piece she had chosen for the Last Dance and left the board. She walked over to the access way to the console room and saw Jeremie still sitting there, smiling at her.

"All done?" he asked. To that, she simply shook her head no and reached down her hand to him. Taking the hint, he took her hand and stood up and let her lead him away.

The music was starting, and the couples on the dance floor started to sway to the beat. Aelita led Jeremie to the corner, where two of the platforms that surrounded the room met. She had workers expand this particular corner, extending it out and creating a small area where two people could dance. As they got there, a spot light snapped on, bathing the area, and the couple, in light. Jeremie shied back for a second, but Aelita just smiled and gently pulled him forward.

They reached the center and she took him in her arms. Jeremie quickly whispered in her ear, "'Lita, I can't dance," to which she replied, "then just hold me and sway; it'll be alright."

Jeremie did as he was told. He held Aelita in his arms and swayed with her, never once taking his eyes off of hers. As the music played, the rest of the world seemed to disappear, until there was nothing left but Aelita. As he swayed, he relaxed. As he relaxed, he held her closer. Finally, she was pressed as close to him as physics would allow, and he stopped his swaying. Aelita rested her head on his shoulder, while he rested his head on hers. And they just stood there, embracing each other, as the music died out.

Their moment together was finally broken by the applause and shouts of the crowd after the music died. Quickly, they separated, and Aelita turned to them and waived, just before she and Jeremie made their way back to the console room.


	11. Aftermath

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Yumi and Ulrich didn't snap out of their trance until the music stopped and the crowd applauded. When the last dance was called, Ulrich made his way over to Yumi, turning down offers from other girls he had danced with. Yumi saw him coming just as she turned down an offer to dance from the boy she had just been dancing with. He left, dejected, as Ulrich walked up.

Like Jeremie and Aelita, dancing above them, the two lost themselves in the other as the music played, but unlike the other couple, they didn't draw closer. But still, they were lost in each other through the entire song, proven by their surprise and embarrassment when the crowd started cheering.

After backing off and giving themselves time to recover, they fell into step and made their way up to the factory level.

"So, do you want to do anything else?" Ulrich asked her.

"No, mom and dad want me home as soon as the club lets out," Yumi replied, "mom is insisting that I help with house cleaning tomorrow, and it takes the whole family to ride herd on Hiroki."

Ulrich smiled. "Okay then; could I walk you home?"

"Sure."

* * *

Aelita quickly changed while Jeremie and her father talked. Franz once again congratulated her on her performance, then told Jeremie that things had settled down in the old assembly room. Two of the men that were in there fairly well disappeared, while the third man, the chemist, flopped down on a camp cot and fell asleep.

"The two that disappeared, did they leave through the club?" Jeremie asked.

"No," Franz replied, "they didn't even go to that door. It looked like they went down to the aqueduct."

"I don't remember there being an exit down there," Jeremie said.

"Maybe they swam out," Aelita said as she emerged from behind her partition, dressed once again in her school clothes, "water flows through that level; it has to go somewhere."

"Maybe, but why do that when the door is right there?" Franz said, "no one would have noticed them cutting through the club, and Mr. Bass surely knows they were here."

"I don't know," Jeremie finally said, "and it's going to have to wait for another day. I'm tired and we need to get back to school."

"Well, good night, kids," Franz said, "if anything unusual happens, I'll contact you."

* * *

Odd didn't dance the last dance. A couple of girls asked him, but he had no desire to slow dance with anyone. After the performance broke up, Odd looked around the room for Sissi. He at least needed to know that she was okay before he beat it back to the dorms.

He looked all around, but couldn't find her. Perplexed, he decided she had already left, so he went on up to the main level, over to the refreshment bar. Anitoly, one of the senior bouncers, was still by the bar, almost looking like he hadn't moved all night.

"Anitoly, did Sissi get her stuff?" Odd asked as he walked up.

"_Nyet,_" Anitoly replied, "thought she would leave with you. So, where is she?"

"I don't know," Odd replied, "she may have left with someone else, but I think she would get her bag first. Listen, give it to me and I'll take it back. If she shows up looking for it, tell her I've got it."

"You not planning on stealing it, eh?" Anitoly asked with mock suspicion. For all he knew, Sissi and Odd were a couple.

"No," Odd replied, "I'm just making sure it gets back to her. Promise."

Anitoly reached back and picked up Sissi's bag and handed it to Odd.

"If I hear you pulling my leg, I pull yours off," Anitoly said. Odd just smiled and left.

* * *

Sissi had danced the last dance with the boy she met earlier in the evening. They had returned to the main level, gotten refreshments, then talked for a bit over the SubDigitals music. When they called the last dance, they played a slow song too. Sissi and the boy danced and enjoyed each other's company until the end.

After applauding the performance, Sissi turned to the boy and said, "thanks; I really enjoyed myself tonight."

He replied, "well, would you like to go somewhere else for a while? I was going to meet up with a bunch of friends and we were going to go hang out somewhere."

"I don't know..." Sissi started, but was interrupted.

"Don't worry, it's cool," he said. He took her by the arm and began to lead her to the entrance. "Why don't you come meet my friends, listen to what we're going to do, then decide? There's no harm in that, is there?"

As he was pulling her along, Sissi said, "wait a minute, I've got to get my stuff!"

"Don't worry, my friends are just inside the entrance."

Things were moving so quickly, Sissi didn't have much time to think. They walked up the stairway to the entrance, but there didn't seem to be a group waiting there.

"C'mon, they must have moved outside," the boy said, not giving Sissi enough time to answer.

They left the factory and walked across the bridge. There, on the sidewalk, were four other boys in a group. One of them signaled to the boy Sissi was with, and he led her over to join them.

"See, here they are," the boy said, putting an arm around Sissi, preventing her from moving off, "say guys, what are we going to do now?"

"Let's go to the hangout," one of them said, "I've got some preemo shit that's just waiting to be smoked."

"Wait a minute," Sissi said, "I'm not into that kind of thing, so I'll just..."

She stopped when she felt a sharp jab in her butt. One of the other boys had come around behind her and did something. She tried to scream, but the boy who brought her here clamped his hand on her mouth. Also, she started feeling really dizzy and disoriented.

"Shhhh, it's okay now," the boy said softly to her, "give it a couple minutes and you'll be in happy land. Then we'll go someplace and have a real good time, just you and us."

* * *

Odd walked out of the factory, carrying Sissi's bag and looking for her. There was still quite a crowd on the bridge, so it took a little effort for Odd to get across. He heard someone call his name, and turned back to see Ulrich and Yumi emerging from the factory, Ulrich waiving at the purple suited boy, trying to catch his attention. Odd stopped and waived back, then waited for his friends to join him.

"What's up?" Ulrich asked when they reached him.

"Nuthin," Odd replied, "Sissi must have gotten wrapped up in some other bozo and traipsed off. She even ran off without her stuff."

"Well, I guess that means you're off whatever hook she had you on," Yumi said. She looked up, then added, "hey, what'dya know; she's right over there."

Yumi pointed to the end of the bridge, where Sissi and five boys were standing. One of the boys had his arm around the principal's daughter, while another looked to be strutting around the couple. Then, the strutting boy moved in and did something, causing Sissi to jump. The boy holding her tightened his grip and said something to her. After a couple of seconds, the whole group began to walk off, Sissi stumbling along with them.

"That don't look right," Odd said. He had turned to where Yumi had pointed and saw the whole sequence. "I'd better make sure she's okay," he said before trotting off after her.

Ulrich looked at Yumi, who looked back at him.

"Trouble?" he said to her.

"Trouble," she said to him.

They both set off after Odd.

* * *

Odd pushed his way through the crowd and quickly caught up to Sissi and the boys with her. He reached out, grabbed the boy holding Sissi by the shoulder, and jerked him to a halt. The boy lost his hold on Sissi, who wobbled once and slid to the ground.

"What the fuck!" the boy exclaimed as Odd turned him around.

"What are you doing with her?" Odd demanded.

"She's my sister, asshole, and I'm taking her home!" was the reply. The other boys in the group started fanning out to surround Odd and support their friend.

"Look, Jack, she's not your sister!" Odd shouted, "she's a friend of mine and she's going back to school!"

One of the other boys started to move in on Odd when another person came up and stepped between him and the purple clad irritant.

"Don't even think about it," came the voice of Ulrich Stern. Odd smiled at the support.

"Five against two, I like those odds," said the first boy.

"Five against three," came a girl's voice as Yumi joined in on Odd's opposite side.

"Ooo, another bitch to play with," one of the boys in the back said, "c'mon, let's take them!"

It was over in thirty seconds. The five boys thought they had strength in numbers, but their opponents had experience fighting together. The three made short work of their attackers, and when the boys realized what they were up against, backed off.

"You just watch your backs, sweetiepie," the first boy said, "you won't always be together, and we'll be around."

With that, the five ran off. Just as they left, Jeremie and Aelita ran up.

"You guys okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Odd said, "but they did something to Sissi."

Yumi and Aelita turned to the fallen principal's daughter. After the boy let her go, she slid down to the ground and lay there, barely conscious. Aelita lifted Sissi up and tried shaking her awake. Sissi groaned and fussed a little, but wouldn't wake up.

"I'm calling the police," Jeremie said as he pulled out his cell phone, "I also managed to get a picture of them. I think one of their faces is clear enough to identify."

Jeremie called the police and they quickly arrived, followed by an ambulance. Sissi was checked out by the paramedics, and they said she was probably given a sedative. They took her to the hospital while Jeremie called the principal. The principal told Jeremie that he would meet the ambulance at the hospital. Odd insisted on going with her, so she would have at least one familiar face around her when she woke up.

By that time, Henri Bass and Sophie Delacort came out. Henri asked what the trouble was and Jeremie explained what happened. Before he could go farther, one of the police officers came up and said he wanted to talk to Jeremie and see the picture he took of the assailants. Jeremie excused himself and went with the officer.

All in all, it was early in the morning before any of the Lyoko Warriors got to bed. Yumi had to talk fast to keep herself from being grounded by her parents. Aelita, Jeremie and Ulrich just missed out on getting detention before Jim Moralés found out what happened. Sissi stayed in the ER overnight until the drug had cleared her system, then she was interviewed by the police. She came back to Kadic late Saturday morning with her father and Odd, who stayed with her even after her father joined them.

It seemed like the excitement of the grand opening of The Factory had finally faded. But, not quite...

* * *

Early Saturday afternoon, Aelita was called to the Principal's Office. When she got there, she saw that Jeremie was in a conference room, along with his parents. It looked like his father was talking to the boy, and Jeremie didn't look like he was enjoying the conversation. Aelita went to the Principal's Office and knocked on the door. The principal invited her in, and she entered.

There was the principal, her father, and Sophie. Mr. Delmas motioned her to sit down, and she took the seat offered.

"Aelita, could you explain this to me?" Mr. Delmas asked, handing Aelita a newspaper. "This entry," he added, pointing to a particular paragraph.

It read:

_The opening of the new teen nightspot, The Factory, was a roaring success. Both the facility and the staff were wonderful, and the entertainment provided by the SubDigitals and Aelita Stones was the capstone of the opening. But, the buzz last night was not about the club, but about Miss Stones herself. Rumor has it that on Thursday evening, the techno-DJ had a torrid session with her boyfriend, Mr. Jeremie Belpois. If the rumors are true, the couple may have been practicing more than dance steps in his dorm room that night..._

"Oh dear," was all Aelita could say.


	12. Ignorant Of Bliss

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The weeks after the opening of the club passed by at a lazy rate, at least for the Lyoko Warriors. XANA still hadn't reared his head, and neither had any Replikas.

A few times, Jeremie sent the others out on to the network to do reconnaissance, but no trace of the rogue program was found. Jeremie was about ready to join Odd in declaring XANA destroyed, but Franz Hopper assured the genius that XANA was out there, somewhere.

The situation between Jeremie and Aelita changed too. The Saturday after The Factory's opening, Aelita was told in no uncertain words that if there was a hint that she and Jeremie were engaging in inappropriate behavior, both teens would be expelled from school. Sophie promised the principal that she would see to it the couple were supervised at the factory, and Franz assured the principal he wouldn't let anything of the sort happen.

Jeremie, for his part, had gotten more information on the Facts Of Life than he bargained for. While his parents appreciated the feelings he was experiencing, they told him that the behavior he was engaging in was dangerous, and could ruin both his and Aelita's lives. Part of growing up, his father told him, was learning how to control himself when ideas and urges entered his mind that promised instant gratification, but had potential long term consequences.

This new level of scrutiny made it very hard for Jeremie and the others to head to Lyoko, since anytime Jeremie and Aelita were at the factory, an adult was with them. The only thing they could do is show whoever what was going on, then do a Return To The Past to erase their memory. If XANA got any benefit from the returns, he was surely reaping a bounty.

* * *

Another change that came about was between Odd and Sissi. After the opening that night, Sissi was taken to the hospital and checked over. Other than being injected with a mild sedative, the principal's daughter was fine, but the hospital wanted her to remain overnight to make sure the drug was completely flushed from her system.

Odd Della Robbia accompanied her to the hospital, holding on to her bag like a talisman granting him access to her. When she woke up in the hospital, it was his face she saw first, then her father's. Odd then explained that the boys had drugged her and were taking her off someplace to do God knows what, to which she weakly replied she knew. Odd then said that he and Ulrich and Yumi fought the boys off, then made sure she got to the hospital.

Odd's actions struck Sissi as, well odd. They went hammer and tongs at each other all the time, and she had blackmailed him to escort her that evening; why would the blond haired idiot care a whit what happened to her?

"Because," he told her, "I was raised that you didn't treat a lady like that."

After that night, Odd and Sissi started dancing around each other, trying to figure out what their relationship with each other was now. Sissi tried being snide with Odd, but somehow, it fell flat. Odd tried the smart aleck comeback, only for it to go wrong. It got to the point to where the duo would only exchange greetings when they saw each other. Sissi would catch Odd looking at her in class sometimes. Their eyes would lock, then both would turn away, embarrassed at being caught.

When they went to the club, they would always go separately, but somehow, as if by magic, they would end up together at the end of the evening, and would walk back to school together. Some of the other girls would ask Sissi why she was hanging around Della Robbia when she disliked him so, to which she replied that just because you didn't like guard dogs didn't mean it wasn't a good idea to keep close to one when there was need.

* * *

Around Paris, word was spreading about a new drug, called Bliss. The dealers were saying that this was the ultimate drug: one that provided absolute pleasure without any side effects. No shakes, no delusions, just pure pleasure, a lifetime's worth in just one squirt. People who had tried the drug would rave that it was better than sex, and it made sex even better. Along with these testimonials came stories about whole towns in eastern Europe that took Bliss, and there was no squabbling or fighting over anything. The moral to take from this tale was, if everyone took Bliss, there would be no more war, that everyone would get along.

Bliss flowed like water; the dealers were having trouble staying supplied with the new drug. Some tried selling counterfeit Bliss, but were quickly put out of business when the customers didn't receive the high promised. Those who tried selling the counterfeit stuff either quickly shifted over to selling the real thing, or disappeared.

All of this meant that things were going very well for Vittorio Santini and his gang. It seemed like word about Bliss had spread to Paris before the gangster had set up shop, and people were snapping it up in droves. The first liter lasted a week, then Vladimir had to make more, which was quickly bought up. The demand for the drug was so great, Santini had Vladimir set up another production line at the factory, so two liters of concentrate could be produced at a time. The additional liter only barely satisfied the demand. By the number of cut doses of Bliss sold, you could have thought that everyone in France was buying the stuff. Vittorio was getting orders for Bliss from as far away as South Africa and Brazil, and there were inquiries from the United States about the possibility of a partnership to bring Bliss to the U.S.A. Vladimir had been right, Bliss was worth more than gold or gasoline, and he had his hand on the valve that made it flow in Western Europe.

Of course, Vittorio's good fortune meant bad fortune for others.

* * *

She loved this time, when she could let everything go and enjoy being with her lover. She had been dating him for some time now, and he was exciting to be with. He always did his best to find the most entertaining, exciting activities for them to try.

Tonight, for the first time, she had invited him home. He must have anticipated this move, because he showed no surprise. The moment they entered her door, he pulled her into his embrace. She could barely get the door closed before they were entangled, and she reveled in his passion. She did her best to return it, which caused him to become even more aroused. They didn't make it to her bedroom clothed.

It had been a long time since she allowed herself to feel this fire again. It had been so long she felt like a schoolgirl, having her first time. Though his ardor was high, he never pushed her; she encouraged him and he responded.

Later, in the afterglow, he nuzzled her ear and whispered, "and that was only the first course. The next time will be even better."

"I don't know how that could be," she responded, "I haven't felt this way in years."

He reached over to the night stand and grabbed something he set there earlier, a white bottle that looked like nasal spray. He opened it, then, without any warning, put it to her nose and squeezed.

She sneezed once, then sputtered, "what was that for?!"

As she spoke, he took the bottle and sprayed it in his own nose. "You'll see in a moment."

Suddenly, the tickle in her nose became something else. The feeling from their lovemaking just a few minutes ago came roaring back. She gasped in surprise, then moaned as he caressed her breast.

"It's called Bliss," he cooed, "it adds to the pleasure."

Suzanne Hertz barely heard her lover's comment. She was rapidly losing herself in the sensations both Pedro Del Toro and the Bliss were giving her. Without another word, she turned to him and kissed him hard, moaning all the time.

For the rest of the weekend, they lost themselves in each other and the Bliss.

* * *

The detective pressed play on the remote, and the video began its playback. The scene was a dilapidated basement somewhere, with what looked like workmen's lights surrounding a small area with a couch in the middle. On the couch were a teenage boy and girl. The girl was blond, pretty, and she was being pressed pretty hard by the boy to do something she didn't want to do.

"C'mon, it'll be fun," the boy said to the girl as he leaned into the girl and pressed something to her face.

"No, I'm really not ready for this; I think I need to go home now," the girl said, protesting, pushing him and the something away from her.

"Look, just a little sniff, and you'll feel great," the boy said, pressing closer.

"No!" the girl said, just as the boy stuck what looked like a bottle of nasal spray close to her nose and squeezed.

The effect was rapid. The girl sneezed at the foreign substance in her nose. She managed to push the boy off of her and stood up to leave. But before she could take even one step, she froze. The detective froze the scene.

"This is where the drug starts taking effect," he said, "you'll see just how fast it works next."

He then started the playback again.

"Ooooo, it tickles," she said. She stood there a moment, then shuddered and moaned softly. The boy, with a victorious smile on his face, stood up behind the girl.

"See, now what did I tell you," he said as he started massaging her breasts through her blouse. The girl moaned louder, then gave a squeal as she shuddered.

"You like that, huh?" he said as he made a motion. Several boys joined their friend and surrounding the girl. "If you liked that, you're going to love this," he said.

With that, the boy began stripping off the girl's clothes, while the other boys started to crowd in and grope at the girl. The entire time, the girl shouted and moaned in pleasure, like the very touch of the boys was enough to make her climax.

The detective watching the tape hit the fast forward button on the remote. The scenes quickly flashed by of the girl engaging in various sex acts with the boys. The officer finally approached the scene he was looking for and pressed play on the remote.

"By this time, she was fully under the influence of whatever she was given," he said, "from where I started the fast forward, all of the boys in the scenes took turns with her. At no time did she resist or protest; as a matter of fact, she later tried to keep the boys going when they spent themselves."

"How long did this go on," asked another officer, the detective's partner.

"The DVD can record several hours worth of video. I just skipped over three hours," the detective said.

"Wow," was the response from his partner. The detective said nothing but started the playback again.

The girl was now engaging two boys at once, one in front of her, the other behind her. At some point in time, the someone must have given the girl the nasal spray, because she lifted it to her nose and squeezed. As the scene continued, she would spray her nose, seemingly to give her even more sensation. Finally, during one of her climaxes, she cried out then fainted. The boys didn't stop for some time, and when they finally did, the girl fell limp to the floor. One of the boys nudged her to wake her up, but she didn't move. The boy tried again with no results. One bent closer to her, then announced, "guys, I think she's dead."

With that, the detective stopped the playback.

"There you have it," he said to his partner, "the cause of death."

"Death by ecstasy," his partner said, "not a bad way to go, if you ask me."

"Problem was, she wasn't asked," the first cop said, "those boys drugged her, then seduced her. They might as well put a gun to her head."

"What does the coroner say?" asked the second policeman.

"Ruptured aorta," replied the first, "she had a defect she didn't know about, I guess. It shouldn't have become a problem for years, but her heart was beating at an extraordinary rate. If the aorta hadn't ruptured, something else would have happened. The coroner said her heart was was under a lot of stress when she died."

"What caused it?" the second cop asked.

"Good question. Whatever was in that spray bottle would be my guess. I've been getting rumors of a new drug on the street called Bliss. It's not a stimulant or a depressant, it's something else. From what I've heard, it directly affects the pleasure centers of the brain, overstimulating it."

"Was that Bliss she was snorting?"

"Could be. The place was pretty well sanitized when the uniforms got there," then the first cop added, "they just weren't smart enough to ditch the DVD. We were able to identify all of the participants in about an hour. They're downstairs right now trying to convince their lawyers that they're innocent."

"So what are the charges?" asked his partner.

"Involuntary manslaughter, multiple counts of rape, kidnapping, use of illegal drugs, using drugs to seduce and rape, at the very least," the first cop said, "oh, by the way; there's an Anton Solovieff coming in from Russia. He's with their State Police, and he's been investigating Bliss for about six months now. He's going to provide us with some background on what we're dealing with."


	13. The Wrong Place

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The elevator door opened up, and Aelita and Sophie Delacort walked into Aelita's dressing room, a.k.a. the console room. Aelita set her bag on her dressing table, then joined Sophie over on the couch.

"Well, tell me how things have been," Sophie asked.

"About the same," Aelita replied, "school is school; Jeremie is still Jeremie; and the club's been good. Oh, some bit of progress; I got Jeremie to take me to the club last Thrusday."

"You weren't working on Thursday; you never do," Sophie said.

"I know! Isn't it great!" Aelita exclaimed, "he actually took me out on a quasi-date!"

"Quasi-date?"

"Well, I didn't ask him to take me on a date," Aelita said, "I just asked if he wanted to see what the club's like when I'm not playing."

"And what makes that not a date?"

"Because Jeremie didn't think it was."

"Oh."

The girls talked on, not knowing that they were being watched. Franz Hopper had noticed the two enter, and made sure that the console couldn't be activated. He then observed the two via the camera in the room.

Franz knew he shouldn't torture himself like this, watching his daughter bond with another adult, a woman. A part of him knew she needed a female role model in her life, someone she could talk to about things she would never discuss with a man, even if that man were her father. He had watched their interactions for about as long as he had returned to Lyoko, and he was starting to think that maybe she would be better off with someone like Sophie and Simon than alone.

So he watched Sophie with his daughter, evaluating them as he would an electronic circuit. He had even watched the woman when she wasn't with Aelita, to see if there was any deceit in her. If there was, she was a consummate professional, for she never betrayed herself. And her relationship with Simon seemed to be genuine and loving too. If he had to leave Aelita in someone's hands, these two seemed like pretty good hands to trust.

Just then, the girl's conversation took a different turn.

"Sophie, have you noticed anything funny going on at the factory?" Aelita asked.

"No, why do you ask," was the reply.

"Well, when we were at the club on Thursday night, there were some adults there I'd never seen before. I asked Anitoly about them and he just shrugged his shoulders. They seemed to walk around looking at things. They didn't look like very nice men; they made me nervous."

"I wouldn't worry about that, Aelita. Gennedy and Anitoly do a very good job with security at the club."

"But there's something else," Aelita said, "when Jeremie and I went into the club, there were some strange men outside, down the street from the bridge. I don't know, but they almost looked like gang members."

"Did you tell Gennedy or Anitoly?"

"Yes. They just said not to worry about it and have a good time. Nothing happened that night, but I'm afraid."

"Well, I'll talk to Henri and see if he knows anything. I don't think there's anything to worry about, though."

* * *

That Friday night, Aelita went to the club alone. She was scheduled to DJ that night, and Jeremie was laid up in bed with a sprained ankle. After school that day, he had gone to Jim Moralés for a training session, and accidentally turned his ankle while jogging in the park. The nurse had said he would have to stay off of it until at least Monday, and would have to take it easy for at least a week after that.

Aelita knew that this wasn't a ploy to avoid going to the club with her, because Jeremie had come to enjoy their visits together. She would just have to soldier on without him, knowing he would want to hear all about her night at the earliest possible opportunity.

She took one last look at herself in the mirror and decided she was ready. She looked at the clock on her dressing table, one that Jeremie had gotten for her, and saw she had about five minutes before she was due on. She got up and went to the ladder, and made her way up to the Pink Paradise.

When she got to the accessway, she heard the sounds of the band starting to play on the main level. She signaled to Gennedy that she was ready, and he announced her. She came out onto the platform and into the spotlight to the cheers and applause of the crowd. She quickly made her way to her mixing board and started playing.

Aelita was concentrating on her mixing, so she didn't know exactly when the trouble started. She was lost in her music one minute, then the next, she heard shouts coming from the crowd. She looked up from her board to see a fight in the middle of the floor below her.

There were what looked like four men on the floor, roughly pulling boys away from their dates, then dancing and groping at the girls. A couple of the bouncers came up to tell the men to back off, but when they got there, the men lashed out and beat the bouncers down. At this point, Aelita stopped playing.

"Hey, girly! Put the music back on!" one of the ruffians shouted, while another shouted, "come on down and dance! Better yet, how 'bout we come up and dance with you!"

Aelita quickly looked for Gennedy, and saw he was standing at the top of the steps that led onto the walkway she was standing on, reaching into his suit coat for something. Aelita then looked to the other side and saw that other members of this gang were walking up the steps and heading for her.

"You heard our mate!" one of the advancing men shouted, "come on down and give us a dance! Or, how 'bout a kiss instead!"

Aelita yanked off her headphones and backed away from the board. She was sorely tempted to run for the the console room, but that was a trap. If she went there, they would follow her, and there was no way out from those levels other than the ladder. She would have to use or the elevator, and there was no telling how many of these men would be waiting for her on the main floor.

Just then, something happened down on the floor. Anitoly arrived with backup and quickly quelled the trouble on the floor. Seeing their comrades in a bad spot, the ones coming for Aelita ran back down to back them up. Gennedy saw this and yelled for Aelita to get out, then ran down to join Anitoly and the others. Aelita ran to the passageway, but didn't go down. Instead, she saw Gennedy and Anitoly, along with ten bouncers, beat the gang bangers down. It took five minutes, but when it was over, all of the troublemakers were down on the floor. By this time, the police had arrived and started to cart the gang away. One of the cops spoke at length with the two Russians, but finally left, satisfied with their answers.

After finishing with the police, Gennedy went up to Aelita.

"I told you to get away," Gennedy scolded, something he had never done to the girl, "those assholes were looking for you. It would be bad if they got to you."

"I'm sorry, Gennedy," Aelita replied, "I just couldn't help but to watch."

"Well, you not go back to school tonight," he said, "I call principal and square it. You go Sophie. I call and let her know."

"But I couldn't impose on her," Aelita started, but Gennedy interrupted.

"Before he go down, ringleader say they coming back for you; if not here, then at school. You go stay with Sophie. I fix by tomorrow."

* * *

After calling the school and Sophie, Gennedy called Giuseppe and told him what happened. Giuseppe said to wait and he would call back. Fifteen minutes later, Giuseppe called back and said that the gang had been released from jail by their lawyers, and that they hung out in a particular section of town. Giuseppe also said that he had gotten together a gang for Gennedy and Anitoly to take and fetch these people. Vittorio had said that the first ones that caused real trouble at The Factory would be made an example of, and these assholes just volunteered for the demonstration.

The takedown was quick. The gang members had barely settled down with their women when Gennedy and crew broke in. Everyone: the gang, their girls, everyone was taken.

* * *

As soon as Aelita got to Sophie and Simon's place, she called her father and told him where she was and that she was okay. Franz asked her what was going on, and she gave him a brief overview. She assured her father that Gennedy and Anitoly were going to make sure everything would be okay, and she wasn't worried.

* * *

Since it had been a while since Gennedy and Anitoly cut loose on anyone, Giuseppe let them take care of most of the gang members. The two Russians took great delight in butchering their helpless victims alive with chainsaws, as well as the reactions of the ones who were waiting for their turn to die.

The leader of the gang wasn't as fortunate as his followers. Giuseppe had him stripped naked, then secured on a table. Then, he had sheet metal placed over the man's torso, legs and arms, so it looked like he was wearing medieval armor. Between his legs, Guiseppe attached a somewhat large metal box, that connected up to the contraption surrounding his victim. When he had finished, the gangster addressed his captive.

"So, you thought it would be fun to hassle a bunch of children out for a good time, eh?" he started, "well, you fuckers picked the wrong club to hassle! Now, your friends are in the next room, being ground up for dog food. Do you want to know why you aren't joining them?"

"Fuck you, man!" the man screamed, "I know people! They'll pull your balls out your throat once you're done watching your wife and family get raped! They're gonna shove a soldering iron up your ass and let you burn!"

"I know you know people," Giuseppe said, non-plussed at the man's threats, "the reason why you aren't being chopped up in the next room is because you are going to deliver a message to your people. You're going to tell them that The Factory is off limits."

"The fuck I am!" the man said, "I ain't telling them shit for you!"

"Yes you are," Giuseppe said as he went over to the side of the room. There, he picked up a cage, filled with sewer rats, and brought it over to his victim. He opened a lid on the metal box between the man's legs, then opened the cage and dumped the rats in.

"Interesting thing about rats," Giuseppe said, "they'll gnaw through just about anything to escape danger, like drowning, or fire."

He walked back to the other side of the room, then returned with a blowtorch. He adjusted the mix, then lit the gas. A flame jumped from the spout; not hot enough to cut metal, but hot enough. He then set the flame to one side of the metal box he put the rats in. Quickly, the vermin began squealing and buffeting the container they were trapped in. Giuseppe kept the flame on the box a few seconds longer, then drew it back.

"They'll go through meat like a buzzsaw, especially when motivated."

He then reached over and removed a panel separating the box from the man. The man jumped as the rats started scrabbling at him, trying to get out of the hot box. Giuseppe then put the flame back to the box to madden the rats further.

"The message you're going to tell your people is: Vittorio Santini doesn't want anyone messing around The Factory. Anybody who does will be fed to the rats."

The gang leader started screaming as the rats tore at his groin with their claws and teeth, trying to escape the heat of the box they were in. They tried every direction they could to escape, but could only find their freedom by gnawing their way through the gang leader's body, finally emerging from his mouth.

After he was finished, Giuseppe had some different men take the gristly remains and dump them in a place where the gang's benefactors would find them.

* * *

Sophie helped Aelita get settled for the night in the guest bedroom. Before she left, Aelita asked, "Sophie, what do you think about Gennedy and Anitoly?"

"They seem nice enough," Sophie replied, "they sure are tough. From what I heard, the two of them just about put all those guys down by themselves."

"Was it me, or was Gennedy wearing a gun?" Aelita next asked.

"I don't know; if he was, I never noticed it when I picked you up."

"I didn't either until tonight. At one point, I swear he was reaching in his coat for one."

"I don't think so, Aelita. I think it's just your imagination."

"Something else," the pink haired DJ said, "I didn't like the way he said he was going to fix things. It almost sounded ominous."

"He probably said it that way to make you feel better," Sophie reassured her, "he made it sound like everything was under his control, and you don't need to worry. Now, settle down and get some rest. Tomorrow's Saturday, so why don't we three go out and have some fun!"

* * *

Giuseppe, Gennedy and Anitoly considered the girls strewn about the room, the women of the now deceased gang bangers. There looked to be one for each member, plus a thirteen year old girl. Most of the older ones, at least the ones that weren't drugged out of their minds, were cowering where they sat, fully aware that this might well be the last few minutes of their lives.

"What you want done," Anitoly asked, "kill with rest?"

"No," Giuseppe replied, "though about half of them probably should be put down. It would be a kindness."

"We could give Bliss," Gennedy suggested.

"No, too many deaths due to Bliss this soon will mean trouble. Do you or any of the boys want them?"

"_Nyet,_" both Russians said at the same time. "Prefer not to get disease," Anitoly added.

Giuseppe laughed at that. "Okay. I'll call a couple of people. I may be able to find someone to take them off our hands. If not, we'll send them off gently. It's not their fault they were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"What about little girl?" Gennedy asked.

"If any of you want her, she's yours."

"_Nyet,_ like jail bait little older," Anitoly said, "what about Vlad?"

"Yes," Giuseppe said thoughtfully, "he has a reputation for liking them young. Bring Vlad on over and get them together. I promised him some relaxation once he got the lab up and running, and he sure has delivered on his end of the bargain. After he's done with her, we can dump her someplace where they'll never find her body."


	14. A Tale Of Two Girls

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Aelita woke up early the next morning, and had to reorient herself to her surroundings. After remembering that she was at Sophie and Simon's apartment, she got up and headed for the bathroom.

Breakfast with them was simple, eggs and toast, fruit and coffee, or in Aelita's case, milk. Towards the end, Simon asked, "well, Aelita, what would you like to do today?"

"You don't have to do anything for me, really," Aelita replied, "I'd be just as happy to go back to school."

"It's no problem," Sophie said, "and Gennedy wanted you to stay away for the weekend, and that means no appearance at The Factory tonight."

"Won't that cause problems?" Aelita asked.

"No. One of the other DJs will take over, Henri already has that covered," Sophie said, "so, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

* * *

Giuseppe didn't usually stay around while dirty work was going on, unless he was the one doing the dirty work. But the man wanted to make sure nothing happened to their moneymaker, and they knew precisely nothing about this girl they had left with him.

The first contact he called about the other gang member's girls resulted in a hit. The man was more than happy to take them off Giuseppe's hands, and would even do it gratis. He sent some trucks over in the night, and the girls were herded wailing into them. That just left this one, thirteen year old, loose end to take care of.

Giuseppe wasn't one to just barge in on someone without cause, so he knocked first. Hearing no answer, he opened the door and steeled himself for what he was about to see.

Inside the room, Vladimir Ptcharsky was sound asleep on a throughly rumpled bed. Across the room, sitting in a chair and watching television, was the thirteen year old girl, naked. She turned her head and regarded the new visitor.

"He's not dead, if that's what you're wondering," the girl said.

"He wasn't the corpse I was expecting find," Giuseppe replied.

"He likes getting his way," the girl said, shrugging, "I understand that."

Giuseppe walked over to the other seat in the room and sat down. The girl had red hair, and was fairly thin, almost malnourished. Though girls this young were not his thing, he noticed that she was pretty. There were remnants of bruises and scars about her arms and chest. It even looked like someone had carved "bitch" in her chest, right above her left breast. That scar was so old, it was white against her skin; you had to look real close to see it.

"That's an odd statement coming from a thirteen year old kid," he told her.

"Thirteen going on thirty," the girl replied, drawing her legs up so her knees covered her chest, "by the way, my name is Aimee."

"Giuseppe," he replied, "I'll bet you're thinking, 'what now?'"

"Kinda," Aimee replied, "you thought he would do the job for you; but since I'm still here, you're now wondering if you have to kill me."

"Not exactly kill you. I could send you to the same place I sent the others."

"Look, I'd rather not have to walk the streets. I did a good job on your friend over there, and he wasn't near as brutal as some of the bastards I've been with."

"So, you wouldn't mind staying here with him?"

"If I had the choice, no, but I want to live," Aimee replied "I'm figuring that you sent the other girls off to be auctioned off to the various pimps around town. Like I said, I'd rather not walk the streets; you never know what you're getting yourself into, plus the pimps want to hook you on crack or heroin so they can better control you. You saw what the Apaches' girls looked like; some of them were so zoned out they could barely dress themselves."

"Apaches?"

"The gang you took out last night; they called themselves the Apaches. Even called the girls squaws. I earned my keep by playing house mother to them, if you could believe it. Now, getting back to my point; the way I look at it, you've got three options: one, send me off with the others; two, kill me; three: let me stay here and tend to his needs."

"And you would stay here, willingly, and do that?"

"Yeah. Like I said, he isn't as bad as some I've had to deal with. And I don't want to die."

"And what do you want in return?"

"Food, shelter, clothes, some spending money. You can surely provide that; you look like you've got more than a couple of coppers to rub together."

"That I do. Well, Aimee, we have a deal. You are now Vladimir's assistant, and your job will be to keep him organized and happy, while he's here. When he's not here, I want you in school."

"What for?"

"Two reasons. One, someone would ask questions if they see a girl your age running around not in school, and I can't afford that. Two, I'm going to put you in a particular school, and I want you to keep your eyes open for me, and report on what you see."

"You want me to spy on a school."

"Yes, I'll give you the particulars later. Now, why don't you get cleaned up and put on some clothes. I have to keep reminding myself that I have daughters around your age."

Aimee smiled, "sure, boss. Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Have a talk with sleeping beauty over there. He likes to brag."

* * *

Simon decided that it would be a good day see the countryside. He, Sophie and Aelita packed themselves up and left Paris, and drove out into the Wine Country. Aelita just about pressed her face against the car glass, watching all of the beautiful vineyards pass by. It reminded her so much of the drive to London, she wanted to cry.

"So, you like?" Simon said from the driver's seat.

"Oh yes!" Aelita replied, "this reminds me of the trip to London! I so loved that. I said then I could spend the rest of my life just traveling around the world. Jeremie told me that there were people who did just that."

"I thought about doing that too, in my younger days," Simon said, "in fact, when I graduated from high school, I took a year off and hitchhiked around Europe, seeing all the sights. It was a year I'll never forget."

They finally stopped at a small vineyard. When they got out, they were greeted by name by the owners, and older man and woman. They were invited in and shown to a table, where the owner's wife sat and talked with them while the owner excused himself.

"It is so good to see you again, Simon!" the woman exclaimed, "and you too, Sophie. And who is this young lady?"

"Aelita Stones," Aelita replied, "I'm a DJ for Sophie."

"Oh! Another of Sophie's famous clients!" the woman exclaimed, "I'm honored that you have graced our small home."

"Ellen, please," Simon said, "you'll drown the girl in complements. Aelita, Ellen Renneoux and her husband Michel put me up for a time while I was hitchhiking. They let me stay over the winter, and I helped them with the winery."

"Please! You'd think I was Mother Teresa, the way you say that," Ellen replied, "he showed up on our doorstep one winter night, looking for shelter, and we got ourselves fairly free labor for the next two months."

Just then, the owner, Michel, returned with a bottle.

"Do you remember this, Simon?" he asked, extending the bottle to Simon.

"No, I'm afraid not," Simon replied as he looked at the bottle.

"This was the first bottle of wine you filled for us," he said proudly, "I've kept it back to surprise you with. Let's open it up and see how it has aged."

* * *

"Vlad, how could you!" Giuseppe exclaimed, "you told her about the Bliss operation? If something happened and she escaped here, she could go to the police and that would be the end of us!"

"I not tell her about Bliss," Vlad protested.

"You told her that you were responsible for making the number one drug in town," the mobster replied, "and since your last name is not Salk, the only thing you could be talking about is Bliss."

"She seemed to appreciate," Vlad said.

"Yes, she did; and as it turned out, you probably didn't have to tell her anything; it seems she's a little more experienced than one would think, in a lot of ways."

"She good girl; she treat me right."

"And as a result, she's now a member of the team. And as such, I want you to be careful with her. I was expecting something a little more grotesque when I came into your room this morning, and since I didn't, I expect it to remain that way. Keep the lab running smoothly, and I'll bring you by to visit her on the weekends. I've also got a job for her aside from you, and that means no marks on her, not a one."

"If she cooperates, she be okay."

"If she don't cooperate," Giuseppe said, "you don't do. I'm going to put her in that school close to the factory, so I have to trust that she won't blab to the cops the first chance she gets. If you beat her up, she may just do that, and that eliminates her value to me. No rough stuff."

"_Da,_ no rough stuff."

Just then, Aimee walked in wearing the clothes she was wearing last night.

"Sorry if I still smell," she said when she came in, "but I didn't have anything to change into, and I didn't have a chance to wash these."

"While you were cleaning up, I took a look at your clothes and got your size," Giuseppe said, "I sent one of my boys out to get you some clothes at the mission store. Later on, we'll get you some new things. In the mean time, I'll leave you two alone. Vlad, remember what I said."

Aimee walked over to Vlad and plopped herself in his lap, laid her head on his shoulder and started rubbing his chest.

"So, want to do anything in particular?"

* * *

Sophie, Simon and Aelita wound up spending the rest of the day at the winery. Both adults agreed that the bottle of wine the owner brought out was delicious, and they even let Aelita try a sip. After that, Simon took the girls out into the vineyard and showed them around, with Michel, the owner, in tow to correct any of Simon's mistakes.

Evening came and the couple invited their guests to stay for dinner and overnight. Simon agreed to dinner, but had to decline about staying, saying they needed to have Aelita back so she could return to school. The dinner that night was wonderful, and the trio was loathe to leave when they finally pulled out of the drive.

The drive back to Paris was quiet, for the most part. Simon and Sophie sometimes spoke in low tones, but otherwise, the only sound was of the countryside rushing by. It was late when they arrived back at the apartment, and the pink haired girl just about collapsed in her bed.

Aelita's last thought before drifting off to sleep was, _I wish I could have days like this all the time._

* * *

One of Giuseppe's assistants brought Aimee some clothes purchased at the mission store. They were used, but not rags. Aimee took the clothes and performed a critical check of them, and couldn't complain. She certainly had worn worse than these in her life, and in some ways, they were positively luxurious. The man who brought the clothes said that Giuseppe would send someone around tomorrow to take her out and get her some newer clothes, plus underwear. These clothes were just to tide her over, and give her stuff that looked like she had owned it for a while, for when she went to school.

Her new "boyfriend," Vlad, was also somewhat of a mystery. After Giuseppe left this morning, she sat in his lap and gave him the perfect opening to have sex with her again, but he didn't, opting instead to just cuddle with her before getting up and fixing them something to eat. He explained that there was a time and place for everything, and he preferred to do everything at the preferred time. In her mind, Aimee let out a sigh of relief; at least she wouldn't be molested during the day. Plus, it seemed like this Russian didn't drink all that much, for when he brought their meal, he had made himself tea instead of the vodka he was drinking last night.

"Aimee," Vlad said as they ate, "what I told you last night, you can't tell anyone."

"I understand that," she replied, "look, let's get something straight here. My number one priority in life is to see the next sunrise; and for the first time in a long time, I've got the feeling that I'll be able to do that on a regular basis. To do that, I've got to keep you happy and in line, so don't worry about me squealing about what you do. By the way, I hope you realize that at some point in time, they won't need you anymore. Have you got a contingency plan for that?"

"They need me for long time yet," Vlad said, "no need to worry 'bout that."

"I'll bet they've been having you train workers to make up the drug you're making, right?"

"_Da,_ otherwise I do all time."

"Well, once they know how to make the stuff up, what do they need you for?"

Vladimir thought for a moment. "I don't know," he finally admitted.

"That's right," Aimee replied, "I don't know how much they're paying you to do this, but if you suddenly weren't around anymore, that would be a big cost savings to them."

"Why you tell me this?"

"Because," the girl said, "if you're not around, I'm not needed. That means either I wind up in some pimp's stable, or dead, and I'm not fond of either option. You start thinking of a way to get out of this once they don't need you any more, then take me with you when you go."

"Why should I do that?"

"Because, if you do, I'll be yours forever."

That evening, Vlad got playful and Aimee let him play. Afterwards, she lay in the bed and tried to relax. It was hard, but it wasn't as hard as some nights she had spent, and it was getting easier.


	15. Oh Boy!

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

"Jeremie, you've got to do this," Odd told his genius friend.

"There is no way on God's Green Earth I'm going to do it," Jeremie replied.

This "conversation" was taking place in Jeremie's dorm room on Saturday morning. Jeremie was laying in his bed with his sprained ankle propped on a pillow, while Odd was sitting at the foot of the bed pressing his argument. Ulrich Stern was watching the whole argument from Jeremie's desk chair, carefully pushed away from the desk. Noticeably absent from this conversation were the female Lyoko Warriors, Aelita and Yumi. Yumi was at home, and Aelita was out of town with Sophie Delacort and Simon Groe.

The topic of conversation was a response to Aelita's tactics in asking him to The Factory when it opened up. Said invitation had gotten both teens put on a very short leash and a very tight watch by just about every adult around them, and Odd was suggesting a plan at least as scandalous.

"But you have to!" Odd exclaimed, "otherwise, Aelita will think all she has to do to get her way is flash a little skin and she has you. You've got to show her it works both ways."

"Let me tell you why I am not going to do it," Jeremie said, "one: we were both warned that even the hint of hanky-panky would get us expelled from school. Two: my father said that if something like that happened again, he would send me to a monastery and tell the monks to stuff me in a wine barrel and feed me through the bunghole until I was eighteen, then have them cork up the bunghole."

"He's bluffing," Odd said.

"Odd, he showed me the brochure," Jeremie said, "St. Stephen's Monastery. The part about stuffing me in a barrel was probably a joke, but the school wasn't. And reason number three why I won't take part in your stupid plan, I don't have what you're asking me to wear."

"Got that covered," Odd said as he whipped something from behind his back, "we're about the same size, and this fit me just right."

"You mean you tried it on?" Jeremie asked.

"Yeah; I had to make sure it would fit."

"Then no way! Not just 'no' but 'heck no!'" Jeremie said, "I'm not going to catch whatever crotch rot you've got! You can't wash it enough to get rid of that!"

"Oh yes you are," Ulrich said, finally speaking up, "and here's the reason why."

Ulrich reached into his pocket, pulled out a picture, then showed it Jeremie. As soon as the blond genius saw it, he jumped out of bed, heedless of his ankle, and lunged at Ulrich, only to be blocked by Odd. Ulrich put the picture away and said, "it wouldn't matter even if you got a hold of it, Einstein. We've got plenty of copies to give to Milly and Tamiya. And even if they wouldn't publish it, we can get it blown up nice and big, so everyone can see you and Aelita in all your glory."

"Where did you get that," Jeremie growled, knowing they had him over a barrel.

"Odd managed to get a picture before things really got bad," Ulrich said, "since we didn't do a return that time, the picture stayed. We kept it just in case we really needed your cooperation on something. Now, you can either play along and run the risk of getting caught, or we put this up all over school and see what happens. So, what's it gonna be, Adonis?"

Jeremie plopped back down on the bed in defeat. If that picture got out, he was as good as gone anyway, not to mention what Aelita would do to him. At least what these two were planning would limit his overall exposure, theoretically.

"I swear before God Almighty that I will find a way to pay you two back for this," Jeremie said, "and if I see another copy of that picture, anywhere, there won't be a place on Earth where you can hide from me."

"I knew you'd agree with us," Odd said.

* * *

It was late on Sunday morning before Sophie finally was able to wake Aelita up.

"Well, travel sure does tucker you out, doesn't it?" she said with a smile as the pink haired girl sat up in bed.

"It was so much fun," Aelita said, "I'd love to do it again sometime."

"I'll keep that in mind," came Simon's voice, "anyway, get yourself up and dressed. Breakfast is long gone, and it's not all that much longer to lunch."

Aelita threw back the covers and got up. Sophie walked with her to the bathroom, where the teen disappeared. Sophie went back to the kitchen and sat with her boyfriend.

"You know, I wish we could have a girl like her," she said wistfully.

"Soph, don't start beating yourself up again," Simon told her, "you know there's nothing that can be done about it."

"I know, but still..."

Sophie was interrupted by a knock at the door. Simon got up and went to answer it. When he opened up, he saw Franz Stones standing in the hall.

"I trust I'm not disturbing you," Aelita's father said as he came in.

"Not at all, Mr. Stones," Simon replied. He led Franz into the kitchen, where Sophie got up and greeted him. She offered him breakfast, which he declined. Simon offered him a seat, which Franz did take.

"I'm here to visit Aelita," Franz began, "but there's something I wanted to discuss with the two of you, without Aelita hearing it."

"Well, she's in the shower right now," Sophie said, directing Franz's attention to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, "we could talk now if you like."

"Very well," Franz said. He was quiet for a minute, like he was working himself up to do something. Finally, he said, "I want to talk to you about Aelita. I've noticed you've been spending quite a bit of time with her of late; more than what's required of a business manager."

"I'll admit that," Sophie said, "she's a wonderful girl and we both like her. Is that a problem, Mr. Stones?"

"No, and please call me Franz," Aelita's father said, "as you may have noticed, I've not exactly been present in my daughter's life recently. She may well have told you that I've been away for quite a long time. What she may not have told you is I have to leave again soon, and I don't know when I will return. I must ask you to refrain from telling Aelita any of what I'm about to say."

"Is there a problem, Franz?" Simon asked, "maybe we can help. If we can't directly, I may know people who can."

"Unfortunately, the reason I must leave is personal," Franz said, "and related to my work; a situation I created for myself many years ago. Aelita is aware of my situation, since it has affected her directly for a long time now. I am hoping this time to spare her any trouble because of my issues."

"What do you want us to do?" Sophie asked.

"I want you to be her legal guardians," Franz said.

Sophie and Simon just stared at the man when he said that.

Franz continued, "while I will continue to reserve my full parental rights, I wish to grant you legal status to watch over Aelita and her interests when I am not able to."

The couple were stunned by Franz Stones words.

"I have been observing you over the past few weeks," Franz continued, "and I find you both to be honest and hard-working. I've never seen Aelita happier than she has been since meeting you two. I think you can give her the one thing in life I cannot right now, a home."

There was silence in the room as Franz's words faded away. It was then that the bathroom door opened and Aelita walked out, dressed in a towel.

"Oh! Daddy!" she exclaimed, "I'll be dressed in a minute!"

With that, she ran into the guest room and threw the door shut.

"Franz, are you sure you want to do this?" Simon said, "despite whatever observations you've made, we're still strangers to you."

"Just as I am to you," Franz replied, "I have no living family; and there's no one on Aelita's mother's side that could care for her. I'm afraid that if something happened to me, she would wind up with Child Welfare, where she'll end up with people I have absolutely no knowledge of. I may not know you well, but I know you well enough trust you to care for her."

"We can't say yes at this point," Sophie said, "we would have to discuss it. Not only that, we would have to discuss it with Aelita. Whatever your plans are, we will not do this behind her back."

"Agreed," Franz said, "also, before you accept, I will explain exactly why I must leave her. If, after I explain my circumstances to you, you don't wish to do it, I will withdraw my offer and take my chances with Child Welfare."

"Franz, you sound like you're going to die," Sophie said.

"It may well come to that," Franz replied.

* * *

Sunday morning, Giuseppe and his wife arrived to take Aimee shopping. Before leaving, the mobster warned the girl that his wife knew nothing about his business, and she should keep it that way. If the girl started blabbing about things she shouldn't, Aimee would join the other Apache squaws trolling the streets of Paris. Aimee got the message and complied.

In return, the Santinis took the girl to the local mall and bought her some new clothes, shoes and underwear. They then went and bought other supplies she might need, as well as a cell phone. Giuseppe told her it was to call him or Vlad or the factory and nothing else. He would be watching the bill very closely and question her on any numbers he didn't recognize.

When they got back, Vladimir was gone. Giuseppe told his wife to go in the other room while he talked to Aimee alone. After Mrs. Santini left, Giuseppe began.

"Okay, tomorrow I'm going to enroll you in Kadic Academy," he began, "It's a school close to the lab. I'm going to tell the principal that you're a relative of mine, and I'm pulling you out of a bad home situation."

"That's the truth," Aimee replied.

"Yeah. A good lie has enough truth in it to make it palatable," Giuseppe said, "now, once you're in, you'll be boarding there during the week, and I'll tell them that you need to come home on the weekends. If they need a reason why, I'll make something up."

"Now, aside from getting an education, you'll be watching this girl."

With that, he showed Aimee a picture. It was a girl, about Aimee's age, with pink hair and green eyes.

"Is that natural?" Aimee asked.

"Take a shower with her and find out for all I care," Giuseppe said, "she's the DJ at that kid's club in the factory. I've leased some space there for the lab, and Vlad works there during the week. I need you to keep an eye on Pinkie here, because I need to know if she starts getting curious about my operation."

"And what happens if she does?" Aimee asked.

"I'll deal with it," was the reply. He then said, "now, she also has friends I need you to keep an eye on."

With that, Giuseppe pulled out more pictures and showed them to Aimee. There were two blond headed boys, a brown haired boy, a dark haired girl and a Japanese girl.

"These are all her friends, and they all have keys and access to the factory," Giuseppe said, "if they start getting curious, I want to know about it. I also want to know why they've got the access they do and no one else does."

"You want me to cure cancer while I'm at it?" Aimee asked.

"I don't expect answers in an instant. But I do want to know before long. Don't mess this up, girlie. If you come through, you may well have a spot in my organization after Vlad stops being useful to me, and it won't be on your back. Fuck up and no one will ever find your body."

* * *

Aelita emerged from her room and went over to her father and gave him a big hug.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I just wanted to see my girl," Franz replied, "would you like to get an ice cream?"

"Sure!"

With that, father and daughter left. Franz said he couldn't take Aelita back to school, and asked if Sophie could. She immediately agreed. As soon as the two left, Sophie turned to Simon.

"Did that just happen?" she asked, "I was wishing for a daughter like Aelita, and he swoops in and grants my wish?"

"Don't get too excited," Simon said, "I don't like the part about him watching us. Why would anyone want to do that? Just where was he looking? He's been a mysterious figure ever since we met him, and weren't you spooked by him the first time you saw him?"

"Yes, but that was just a nightmare," Sophie said, "I dreamed that he had strung me up and was going torture me, and he was torturing another girl. But, it wasn't him; it was like he was possessed. Anyway, I got over that a long time ago."

"Still. Look, I like Aelita and all, but I'm not sure I'm ready for this. And if there's a reason why he has to do this, I'm not sure I want us pulled into it."

"Simon, if there is something shady about Franz, and we can pull Aelita out of it, don't we have the obligation to?"

"Is that Sophie, Aelita's manager, or is that Sophie the wannabe mother, who wants to know?"

"Both. I can't help it, I love her. And I know you do too. I love the way she brightens a room just by walking in. I love the way you two are when you're working on her music. I even love the way she gets into trouble, like with that boyfriend of hers."

"Tell me; did she really walk into his room dressed in nothing but a tight tee shirt and panties?"

"Oh yes she did," Sophie said with a laugh, "and I thought she wasn't old enough for hunting clothes. She definitely needs a woman in her life."

"Let's think about it a while before we give Franz an answer," Simon said, "and I definitely want to hear the rest of his story before I agree to anything, no matter how cute she is."

* * *

Later Sunday afternoon, Sissi Delmas sat on a bench in the school courtyard and waited. As she waited, she plotted how she was going to get back at Odd for blackmailing her into doing this. It was one thing for her to blackmail him into taking her to The Factory; it was quite another thing for him to turn the tables on her. Just who did he think he was?

That was another thing Sissi pondered. The times she had been with him since the club opened were not bad, almost very good. When he wasn't being a jerk, Odd was an okay guy. A few times, Sissi saw the boy she chatted online with oh so long ago, the one who was able to look past The Principal's Daughter and see Elizabeth. Sometimes, she even didn't mind him calling her Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, at the front gate to the school, Aelita and Sophie entered. Aelita had spent a little time with her father; chatting about nothing at all, just connecting. He then announced that he had to leave, and escorted her back to Sophie's. A quick kiss on the cheek, and he was gone.

Now, her career manager was escorting her back to school, saying that Gennedy Checkov had left a message this morning that everything was alright now, and Aelita didn't need to worry.

"Well, I've got to get back," Sophie said as they were walking to the dorms, "I've got to pack; I'm leaving for Brussels tomorrow. The boys are doing a gig there, and I need to go on ahead and do some PR for them."

"Good luck," Aelita said, "but, before you leave, could you do me a favor and escort me over to Jeremie's room. I haven't seen him since Friday, and I don't want to get in trouble."

"Sure; why not," Sophie said.

Just then, someone called out Aelita's name. She looked about, finally locking in on an approaching figure dressed in all black, Yumi Ishiyama.

"Hi, Aelita! You just back?" Yumi asked as she walked up.

"Yeah. We're just going up to Jeremie's room," Aelita said.

"Cool! I'll tag along."

With that, the three ladies resumed their walk to the dorms. The whole time, Sissi had been watching Aelita. As soon as she had entered the gates, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

"Okay, Odd, she's on her way."

* * *

As soon as Odd hung up his mobile, he knocked on Jeremie's door.

"Showtime, Einstein!" he said.

"Odd Della Robbia, I will find a way to get back at you," Jeremie said from inside.

"Just knock 'em dead, you hunk you!"

With that word of encouragement, Odd ran back to his room.

* * *

Yumi, Aelita and Sophie emerged on to the boy's dorm level and walked to Jeremie's room, not noticing that Odd and Ulrich were watching from their door, which was open just a crack.

"I'm sure he's just working on his computer again," Aelita said as she knocked on Jeremie's door. She heard something from inside, then opened the door wide for her and the others to go in.

Jeremie was indeed sitting at his computer working. He heard the door open, hesitated an instant, then turned around to greet his guests.

The moment he did, all three women stopped dead in their tracks. They just stood there and stared at the sight before them.

Jeremie was seated in his chair, wearing nothing but the bandage around his sprained ankle, his glasses and a pair of swim trunks. Racing trunks. Red, racing trunks. Very tight, low cut, red racing trunks.

Jeremie's face was as red as his swim trunks at this point, for he didn't bargain on Aelita having company with her when she walked in. But it was too late to do anything else, so he finished what he started. He leaned back in his chair, extended his arms above his head, and stretched out, lifting his legs from the floor, tensing every muscle in his body.

The training he had been receiving from Jim Moralés was definitely starting to show on the boy. Where there once was nothing but maybe baby fat, now were the beginnings of taut muscle. His stretching back the way he did emphasized just about every part of his developing body, and what wasn't being emphasized by the stretching was being emphasized by the Speedos. They looked painted on, and left very little to the imagination.

"Oh. My. Freakin'. God," was all Aelita could say.

Yumi was stunned silent, while Sophie was doing a perfect imitation of a fish on dry land.

After Jeremie finished his stretch, which seemed to take an hour, he relaxed and said, "ladies, how 'bout giving me a minute to make myself more presentable, okay?"

The only thing they could do was nod dumbly. The three women backed slowly from the room, then quietly shut the door to give the boy god a little privacy.

When the door shut, the three turned around, only to have a brilliant flash go off in their faces.

"Oh, man! This is great!" Odd exulted as he ran down the hallway. Ulrich saw the beginnings of fury rise up in Yumi's face, and beat a hasty retreat after his friend.

"Odd Della Robbia! When I catch up with you, I am going to skin you alive!" With that, Yumi set off after the boys. "And just wait 'til I'm through with you, Ulrich Stern!" After that, the only thing that could be heard was a stream of garbled Japanese receding down the hallway.

Aelita and Sophie just stood with their backs to Jeremie's door, leaning against it. Inside, Aelita could just make out the sound of Jeremie trying to hold in his laughter.

"Please, Sophie," Aelita said, "don't tell anyone about this!"

"I won't, Aelita," Sophie said in as calm a voice as she could manage, "but if you don't eventually marry that boy, I swear to God I will."

* * *

Suzanne Hertz could hardly wait to get to Pedro's this evening. For the past few weeks, their love life had gotten more exciting than she could ever imagine, thanks to the Bliss. It was starting to get to the point to where she didn't really feel like she was living unless she was in his arms.

She arrived at his apartment and knocked on his door. As she waited, she made sure her silver hair was in place, and checked for any last minute imperfections in her attire. When she finished that, she looked up at the door.

_Pedro should have answered by now,_ she thought.

Suzanne knocked again, and waited, but no one answered. On impulse, she tried the doorknob, and found the front door unlocked. She opened it and went inside.

"Pedro? Is everything alright?" she called out, "c'mon, it's getting late!"

She walked in and looked around. The apartment had the look that he was home, so she went back to his bedroom. On the way, she passed the bathroom, which was empty. She finally found him in the bedroom.

Pedro was lost in a world all his own. He was lying naked in his bed, lost in his pleasure; his tanned skin glistening with the sweat of exertion. From the looks of it, he had been masturbating in bed all day, which frankly surprised the science teacher.

On the nightstand beside the bed, were several pink nasal spray bottles. Pedro had spent the day taking Bliss.

Her lover finally noticed that she had entered, and smiled up at her.

"Suzie, my love; I've been waiting for you! Come over here and join me!"

Suzanne looked at him for a moment, then replied, "no, I don't want to disturb you and your lover. Give me a call when you're free."

With that, she turned and left, but not before picking up one of the pink nasal bottles. Making sure it was full, Suzanne Hertz left and returned home, angry and embarrassed that she had found him that way.

As soon as she got home, she went to her own bedroom, undressed, then took a deep hit of the Bliss she had taken. The effect was almost immediate, and hard. She collapsed on her bed in an immense orgasm, one she kept up for the rest of the weekend, with the help of the drug.


	16. Some New Faces

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next day started out like any other day at Kadic, which was a pretty good indication that no one knew about what happened in Jeremie's dorm the day before.

Jeremie met Odd and Ulrich as they made their way to the showers to prepare for the day. The blond genius was still on crutches, due to his sprained ankle. The other two boys were pretty well covered in bruises, and it even looked like one of Odd's eyes was swollen shut.

"I guess Yumi was a little upset with you," Jeremie deadpanned.

"Upset with Odd," Ulrich replied, "I just happened to get it because I was with him."

"Well, it couldn't happen to a pair of nicer guys," Jeremie said, "I'll have to find a way to thank her, if she'll ever speak to me again."

After showering and dressing for the day, the boys went down to get breakfast. As they got to the cafeteria door, a girl called out for them to wait up. Jeremie turned and saw Aelita running towards them. He quickly turned back around and went inside as his face reddened again.

"Well, I see Yumi caught up with you," she said to Odd and Ulrich, "did you put Jeremie up to that?"

"Uh, yeah, I did," Odd said.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Aelita slapped him, hard.

"That's for making him do that," Aelita said crossly. Then she leaned in and gave the purple haired boy a kiss on the cheek she slapped. "And so is that."

While this was going on, Jeremie hobbled in and got in line for breakfast. He was afraid that this was going to happen; he didn't know how to act around Aelita now. Was she mad, happy, something else?

After Rosa plopped his breakfast on his plate, Jeremie went over and found a table. He sat there a moment contemplating his oatmeal and eggs, when someone pulled out the chair next to him. The next thing he knew, someone had planted a warm kiss on his cheek. As soon as the lips left his skin, he turned to see Aelita sitting down next to him.

"Morning, stud," she said, causing Jeremie to blush again.

Breakfast was quiet, for the most part. Odd and Ulrich didn't talk at all, and Aelita only talked to Jeremie about her weekend. After they were done, Jeremie and Aelita got up to leave, taking their trays to be dumped.

As they walked by, Sissi called out to Aelita, "what's up with those two today?" She pointed over at Odd and Ulrich.

"Lover's quarrel," was all the pink hair girl said.

Jeremie dropped off his tray and headed out. Aelita, delayed by Sissi, quickly joined him, putting her arm around his shoulder as they left the building.

* * *

The man walked through the gates of Kadic Academy, looking around as he did. He was an older man of Russian descent, his steel grey hair a testament to the years past. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit, white shirt and black tie. If one had the eye to notice, they would see a bulge just under his left arm, where he kept his handgun. Anton Solovieff was an Inspector with the Russian State Police, and he was in Paris on a mission.

But his visit here today was personal.

He stopped and asked one of the students where the Administration Building was. The student pointed him in the right direction, and Anton went on. I must have been just about time for class, for students were rushing everywhere. Anton allowed himself a smile at the scene. His practiced eye suddenly caught a flash of red pigtails. He locked on and saw the target of his search and quickly went over to her.

Milly Solovieff was walking along, talking with her friend Tamiya, when a gruff voice said, "You! Have you been in my turnips again?!"

Tamiya's face registered shock at the sudden outburst, while Milly's face lit up in recognition She spun around to the man who had walked up behind them and shouted, "Uncle Anton!"

"Milly! How good to see you," Anton replied as the girl jumped into his arms. "Oof! You've grown! You're not my little rabbit any more."

"I'll always be your little rabbit," Milly replied, kissing him on the cheek. As he set her down, she said, "uncle, this is my best friend, Tamiya. Tamiya, this is my uncle Anton."

"Pleased to meet you," Anton replied. Tamiya just nodded silently.

"So, why are you here?" Milly asked next.

"I'm in town on business," Anton replied, causing Milly's face to darken just a bit, "but that's not why I'm here. I would never visit Paris without visiting my favorite niece."

"Are you going to be here long?" Milly asked next, "'cause I've got to get to class."

"You run along to class then," Anton said, "I'm here to talk to your principal about visiting with you while I'm here. Most good schools have a policy about strangers running around their campus. So, I'll be off now. Your parents gave me your mobile number; I'll call you after you get out of class."

"See you later!" Milly said as her uncle turned and continued on to the Administration Building. As they started off to class again, Milly said, "I wonder why he's here? Dad always said he was so busy in Moscow that he never had time to visit family. So what's got him here?"

* * *

Giuseppe Santini sat in the principal's office at Kadic Academy, along with Aimee, spinning his story to get her enrolled in the school.

"So, it was a bad situation?" the principal, a Mr. Delmas, asked.

"Yes. It was so sad," Giuseppe replied, "we all tried to help her parents; we even went so far as to have an intervention for them, but nothing worked. Finally, They both died of an overdose. Now I'm taking Aimee in and trying to help her rebuild her life."

"I see," the principal relied, "well, you must understand, we don't have the facilities for the level of remedial learning that she may require. I'm not really sure we can help you, Mr. Simon."

Giuseppe "Simon" replied, "I understand that, but at this point, I'm willing to accept any help you can give me. Could we not try it for the rest of the school year, then revisit Aimee's progress at the end?"

Jean-Pierre Delmas looked at the two sitting before him. The man, Giuseppe Simon, seemed like there was something off about him. His niece, Aimee Simon, just looked ahead like she was in her own world. The two didn't look like relatives, but the principal couldn't quite figure out what the connection was. It was probably a good idea to get the girl away from him, and Jean-Pierre had to admit, the amount of money Mr. Simon was offering was impressive, three times the annual tuition for the school.

"Alright, we'll try it for a while," Jean-Pierre said, "unfortunately, we have no single dorms for her to stay in, so she'll have to share with someone."

"That won't be a problem," Giuseppe said, "it would be good for Aimee to spend time with a girl her own age, to help her reconnect with the normal world."

The principal checked something on his computer, then picked up the phone and called his secretary.

"Mrs. Weber, could you have Aelita Stones sent to my office?" he said.

"Right away," was the answer.

With that, Mr. Delmas hung up the phone and stood up. "I'll board Aimee with Aelita Stones. She's in a single dorm right now, so there'll be plenty of room. Also, Aelita is one of our top students academically. I'll have her tutor Aimee in her spare time, to catch her up. If you like, you may come and see where Aimee will be staying."

"Unfortunately, I cannot," Giuseppe quickly said, "I have business I must attend to, and I don't have the luxury of putting it off. So, Aimee, remember what I said, and do your best. I'll see you on Saturday."

"Yes, uncle," Aimee replied.

The girl stood up as the man rose, then bent over and kissed her on the cheek. He then shook Mr. Delmas' hand, and the three walked out of the office.

When the door opened, Giuseppe saw a big man standing at the secretary's desk, talking. The first thing that came to Giuseppe's mind was _cop,_ while the second thing was _Russian Cop!_

His body betrayed nothing of his surprise, and Giuseppe left the office as quickly as he could without raising any attention from the man.

As he left, he heard the secretary say, "Mr. Delmas, this gentleman would like to see you. He's with the Russian State Police."

* * *

Aelita walked into the principal's office with more than a bit of fear and trepidation. She was afraid that the principal had somehow found out about Jeremie's little stunt yesterday, and the two of them were going to be expelled. Mrs. Weber motioned for the girl to have a seat, and Aelita sat down, waiting for the end.

Soon the door opened and Mr. Delmas and a man she had never seen before walked out. Mr. Delmas was telling the man that he would make sure Milly had time to visit her uncle, and it was always good to see the relatives of a student take such an interest. The man thanked Mr. Delmas, made his goodbyes, and left. Mr. Delmas looked and saw Aelita waiting.

"Miss Stones, would you follow me?" was all he said.

Aelita got up and followed the principal to the conference room. When they entered, they saw another girl waiting there. She had red hair down to her shoulders and a simple white top and jeans. She looked thin, almost to the point of being gaunt, and she had a wary look in her eyes. It was almost like the girl was expecting something bad to happen, but didn't want anyone to know it. She didn't look like a normal, carefree girl to Aelita.

Mr. Delmas motioned for Aelita to sit, and she took a seat.

After he had seated himself, Mr. Delmas said, "Aelita, I would like you to meet Aimee Simon. Aimee, this is Aelita Stones."

"Hello," both girls said to each other.

"Aelita, Aimee is a new student here at Kadic, and I've decided that she will board with you for the rest of the year."

Mentally, Aelita relaxed.

"I also have another assignment for you," the principal continued, "Aimee's education has, from what I am given to understand, been spotty at best. One of the things you will be doing is tutoring Aimee to help her catch up. For the next few days, I'm going to have the staff evaluate where her gaps are, then we will expect you to work with Aimee to fill those gaps in. To this end, you shall have access to whatever resources you need. Are there any questions?"

"No, sir," Aelita replied.

"No," Aimee said.

"Good. Aelita, show Aimee to your dorm room and help her get settled in. I'll call your teachers and tell them you're excused for the rest of the day. And Aimee, if you need anything, just let Jim Moralés or myself know. I'll send Jim around to introduce himself later."

* * *

As soon as Giuseppe left Kadic, he got on his cell phone and called his brother.

"Vittorio, we may have a problem," Giuseppe said with no introduction, "I was at the school today and saw a Russian cop. On my way out, I heard the secretary say he was Russian State Police."

"So what," came Vittorio's response, "and what were you doing at school anyway? One of the kids having problems?"

"No, nothing like that. You remember the girl we took when we took out those gang bangers over the weekend? Vlad took a liking to her. She's more street savvy than I thought, so I made a deal with her. She keeps Vlad's toes curled and does a little spying for me, and she's okay. I put her in Kadic to watch over those kids."

"Brother, I have never questioned any of the actions you've ever taken, but this one sounds a little iffy to me."

"I know I'm stretching it kinda thin this time, but I think it'll work out. Anyway, back to the cop. We got Vlad out of Siberia, just about the time the Russians closed down that Bliss operation. Now, we have a Russian State cop here. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he's here looking for Vlad."

"I can't argue with you there, Giuseppe. It could also be that Bliss is catching the eye of the locals, and they called someone in from Moscow to give them an overview. Either way, keep Vlad out of the public eye. Now, tell me more about this kid..."

* * *

After leaving Kadic Academy, Anton Solovieff made his way to the Paris Metropolitan Police Department. Once he got there, he entered and went over to the receptionist desk.

"Excuse me; could you direct me to the Narcotics Division?" he asked her.

"Do you have an appointment?" she responded.

"Yes. I am Anton Solovieff, of the Russian State Police, Narcotics Division," he replied, pulling out his credentials for the receptionist to see, "I was asked to come here in a consulting capacity. It seems that Paris has caught something that originated in Siberia."

The receptionist examined Anton's documents a moment, then nodded. She then picked up her phone and made a call. When she finished, she told Anton, "someone will be here to escort you back. I'll also need you to fill this out and wear this badge while you're here. If you're going to be here longer than a day, we'll have to take your weapon so it can be cataloged. If you could take as seat over there, someone will be here shortly."

It was about fifteen minutes before a man walked up to Anton.

"Inspector Solovieff?" he said.

"Yes," was the reply.

"I'm Lieutenant Rene Michellete, Narcotics Divison. Could you come with me, please?"

Anton got up and followed the man. They threaded their way down corridors packed with police, suspects, victims and family. They finally came to a section of the office relatively clear of non-police.

"Welcome to the rat hole," Michellete said, "of course, the men you see here aren't our undercover officers; their office is in a separate location." He then turned to the others. "Boys, this is Inspector Anton Solovieff, from the Russian State Police, Narcotics Division. He's here to tell us more about this drug that's on our streets."

"What have you learned so far," Anton said.

"First off, it's damn hard to trace," one of the detectives said, "the only reason we know anything about it at all is because we had a fatality, and that wasn't directly due to the drug."

"I see," Anton said, "then, let me give you and overview. Nine months ago, we began getting reports of a new drug on the market, called Bliss. It was first seen in the Krasny Signorsk area of Siberia. Within two months, the drug had spread from Siberia westward. I first ran into it in St. Petersburg."

"The drug directly stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain, providing a profound feeling of pleasure. As an adjunct, areas of the brain controlling sexual response are also highly stimulated. It uses the nervous system, rather than the blood stream, to make its way to the brain, taking a few seconds to take effect. Initial symptoms are a tickling feeling, followed by increased pleasure sensations in all areas of the body. Quickly, the pleasure turns to sexual pleasure and escalates from there. Depending on the concentration, the experience can last hours."

"Is the drug addictive?" one of the detectives asked.

"Not physically," Anton replied, "but, as you might guess, it has a powerful psychological addiction. Let me put it this way, if you could get the best sex you ever experienced at any time, with or without a partner, would you jump at the chance?"

There was silence in the room.

"As I thought," Anton said, "another factor; though the drug is advertised as having no side effects, it does. Continued usage destroys the areas of the brain it affects. This causes the user to be more morose than usual. It is harder for them to feel any pleasure, sexual or otherwise. It takes more drug to produce the same effect, which in turn causes more damage, requiring more drug. Finally, the damage will expand from the pleasure centers of the brain to other areas."

"Why is that?" one of the officers asked.

"Because the brain tries to adapt to the loss of the brain cells by utilizing other brain cells in their place. The problem is that the drug will act on those areas just as it did with the original areas. There comes a time where a good deal of brain cells are destroyed, causing problems in other systems. Ultimately, damage occurs in an area that controls vital functions, and the user dies."

"We've not seen that, exactly," Michellete said, "but we do have a case where a young girl died due to extreme stress on her circulatory system. The stress aggravated a heart condition she didn't know she had, and that killed her."

"I've seen that also," Anton said, "I generally have not seen the extreme case of brain damage except where the drug was taken undiluted and in quantity."

"You mean what's out there is cut?"

"Yes. From what notes we have been able to obtain, the concentrate is diluted in water, then sold. There are several other strengths, leading to the undiluted form. From what I've been able to gather, 10ccs of the concentrate is enough to cause severe neurological damage to the user. Anything above that is fatal."

"And we've got it here."

"Correct. Three months ago, we raided and shut down the main lab in Krasny Signorsk, but we failed to arrest the chemist responsible. From what your chief has told me, that chemist has probably set up shop here. My job here is to help you break up this distribution ring, and if at all possible, arrest the chemist and return him to Russia for trial."

"What's the man's name?"

"Vladimir Ptcharsky. He worked as a lab assistant at the Bolshoi Olyania Advanced Research Center, but left the facility for unknown reasons. This facility is only 5 kilometers south of Krasny Signorsk, so it may well be that the drug was developed there."

"What for?" one of the detectives asked.

"If I knew that, I would be the President of Russia," Anton replied, "Bolshoi Olyania is a classified facility, and I don't have the clearance to even enter the town."

"So, where would we find this guy?"

"I will provide you with a description. One thing we know about him is he likes young women, the younger the better. What put us on to him in Siberia was that he was connected to the deaths of several teen and pre-teen girls in the area."

"Drug induced?"

"No. Each was beaten severely and sexually assaulted. What we think is Ptcharsky kidnapped the girls to satisfy his tastes, then murdered them when they wouldn't cooperate."

"So we've got to start looking for a trail of dead children in order to find this asshole."

"_Da,_ I'm afraid that may well be true."

* * *

Aelita led Aimee to the dormitory, and up to their room.

"Well, here it is," she said as she opened the door and showed it to her new roommate.

They entered and Aimee took a look around.

"There's only one bed," the new girl said.

"They'll bring up another one, along with a wardrobe," Aelita replied, "in the meantime, just put your stuff there."

Aimee put her bags on Aelita's bed, then sat down on it. Aelita had taken the seat in front of her computer.

"That's a computer, right?" Aimee asked.

"Yes. A friend of mine built it for me when I first came here. I'll introduce you later on. So, tell me about yourself."

"There's not much to say," Aimee said, "my parents were junkies, and when they weren't taking their frustrations out on each other, they took them out on me. My uncle took me in after they died, and he's trying to help me out."

"Have you ever been to school?"

"A little. But getting their next fix was more important to them than making sure I had an education. What I know, I got from the streets."

"I don't understand."

"I spent a lot of time on the streets, away from home. My parents didn't care unless they wanted to beat me. People showed me things, and I picked things up."

"Well, hopefully you'll like it here," Aelita said.

"It beats the sewers," Aimee replied.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"I've got a bed here for Aimee Simon," came a male voice.

Aelita went over and opened the door. There stood a man in a red sweat suit, wrestling with a twin bed.

"Bring it on in, Jim," Aelita said. She then said to Aimee, "Aimee, this is Jim Moralés. He's the PE teacher, plus he's the dorm monitor."

"Pleased to meetcha," Jim said as he set the bed down, "I'll be back in a few minutes with the wardrobe and some sheets for the bed. Once we got that taken care of, I'll go over the rules of the dorm."

With that, Jim left.

"One of the first things you'll find out is that Jim is fairly well clueless," Aelita said, "he's a nice man, for the most part, but just about everyone can pull the wool over his eyes."

"So, I take it I can ignore anything he says," Aimee said.

"No, he catches you at something, you're in trouble. But most of the time, he never catches anyone."

Just then, Aelita's cell phone rang.

"Hello? You're kidding! Now? Are you sure, Jeremie? Okay, I'll be there."

Aelita hung up her phone and got up.

"I've got something I have to take care of, Aimee. You should be fine here. Jim will be back with the rest of your furniture, and he can answer any questions you might have."

"One thing," Aimee said, "this guy isn't some kind of pervert, is he?"

Aelita had to think a moment to understand what Aimee was asking. "No," she finally said, "he's very protective of the students, which is why he can be a pain in the butt. But he would never knowingly harm a student in any way. Well, I've got to run."

As soon as Aelita shut the door, Aimee laid back on the bed.

_God, she's a naive twit,_ Aimee thought to herself, _just because she's never seen it doesn't mean it isn't happening. Well, if I have to put up with his advances, I'll just do it until I talk to "uncle" Giuseppe. I'm sure he could find a hole to drop this jerk down if he touches me._

* * *

**Author's Note:**this is not the first time Krasny Signorsk and Bolshoi Olyania have appeared in a story about a computer bent on world domination. If you think you know what the other story was, drop me a line in a review; I'll reveal the answer at the end of the story.


	17. And A Familiar One

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

As soon as she left her dorm, Aelita ran downstairs. On her way down, she ran into Odd and Ulrich.

"Einstein call you?" Odd asked.

"Yes," the pink haired girl replied, between breaths, "where's Jeremie?"

"Hobbling along behind us," Ulrich said, "running on crutches is hard."

The trio exited the dorm and made their way to the park. On their way, Yumi Ishiyama joined them.

"So, XANA's finally shown up," she said when she joined them.

"That's what Jeremie says," Ulrich replied, "maybe now you can take out your frustrations on someone other than a friend."

"Ulrich, you're lucky I didn't paste you like I did Odd," the Japanese girl replied, "I don't know if I'm ever going to be comfortable around Jeremie after yesterday's show."

"I don't know, I rather liked it," Aelita said with a blush.

"I did too, and that's the problem," Yumi added, "he's your boyfriend, but I've still got to act normal around him."

By this time, they had reached the manhole cover that took them to the factory. Ulrich was just about to lift the cover when Aelita said, "why are we going this way? We've got keys to the factory, and access passes. I specifically told Henri and the others that there would be times we would just drop in, so there shouldn't be an issue. Let's go."

The group left the park and made their way to the factory. When they got to the entrance, it was unlocked. The group entered and went down to the main floor.

It was still strange not to be swinging down from the ropes to the elevator, and even stranger to see Aelita's face painted on the elevator door. Ulrich pressed the call button, and the elevator door opened.

"Aelita, that you?" came Anitoly Tupelev's voice. As the others got on, Aelita turned and saw the man coming from the leased section of the factory.

"Yeah, it's just me," Aelita replied, "I've got some things to go over for this week, so I'm working down in my dressing room."

"Need chaperon?" Anitoly said with a smile.

"No, Jeremie's not here yet."

"No matter. Kids will be kids, and should never stop young love. I send down when he get here."

"Thanks, you're the greatest!"

* * *

XANA was extremely careful when he and William Dunbar entered Lyoko. Jeremie's attack in London had severely drained the rogue program, and he had been spending the time since then recharging. He was still severely weakened, but needed to ascertain what his enemies were doing. XANA instructed William to go to the Ice Sector and guard the tower he was activating, while XANA reconnoitered the area.

When XANA got to the tower and tried activating it, he failed. XANA tried several more times, then tried several different things, with no luck. Finally, he tried the routine he used to activate towers in his Replikas. That worked.

Before entering the real world, XANA took a quick scan of the tower subsystem, and found it had been rewritten, using the code that XANA used to create the tower subsystems in his own Replikas. Belpois must have somehow discovered the differences in the tower subsystem and the rest of Lyoko and modified it. And that had enabled the boy to locate and destroy the taps XANA had placed in Lyoko.

_Very clever, my opponent,_ XANA thought.

With that, XANA projected himself into the real world, to see what was going on.

* * *

Jeremie finally made it to the factory, cursing his sprained ankle. It was a lot better than Friday, but he still couldn't put much weight on it. It made descending the stairs of the factory a challenge, but the blond genius finally made it to the elevator.

"Ah, Romeo has arrived!" shouted Anitoly from the refreshment bar, "Juliette is awaiting in her boudoir."

Jeremie just waved and called the elevator.

When he got to the console room, Jeremie saw that everyone was there and not at each other's throats. His face got hot when he saw Aelita and Yumi looking at him, but he put it aside. Not noticing their blushes, he hobbled over to the console, dropped his crutches and sat down.

"Okay, the superscan localized the tower in the Ice Sector. I didn't notice anything strange on the way over; did any of you?"

"No," was the general consensus.

"Then it could mean that the attack is centered on the factory itself. Everyone get down to the scanner room and I'll send you to Lyoko."

"Coming with us, Jeremie?" Odd asked, "you just about killed XANA back in London. Maybe he'll run for it if he sees you on Lyoko."

"No, I'd better watch from here. Now get going."

The four Lyoko Warriors quickly went down the ladder to the scanner room.

"Oh boy, I can't wait!" Odd exclaimed, almost jumping up and down with anticipation. "It's been too long since I've had a good fight. Guys, we gotta draw this one out for a bit!"

* * *

XANA materialized on the main factory floor. After registering all of the changes made, he stopped for a moment and confirmed that he transferred to the correct location. After making sure that this was, in fact, the factory, he drifted about. He noticed all of the sound and lighting equipment, the refreshment bar, and the paint job on the elevator door.

_What happened here? _XANA wondered.

Anitoly Tupelev was at the refreshment bar, leaning against it and drinking a cup of coffee. XANA noticed the man and floated over and possessed him. The Russian dropped his cup, then stood up straight.

XANA was in a quandary. He really couldn't do much with the man; it was taking all of his energy just to possess him. So, rather than have the man hunt the children, XANA examined his memories.

_So, the factory is now a nightclub,_ XANA thought to himself, _and, what's this? A drug lab? In the assembly room?_

XANA left Anitoly, who shook his head, looked at the mess on the counter, and vowed to stop at three bottles of vodka from now on.

* * *

Aelita, Yumi and Ulrich virtualized in the Ice Sector. The trio spread out and established a defensive perimeter. Seconds later, Odd joined them, dropping into the center of their circle.

"Geez, Jeremie! why'd you make me go last?" Odd hollered to the virtual heavens.

"Because you're too anxious," Jeremie replied, "this way, you won't go charging blindly into the fray, leaving the others to mop up your mess."

"Besides," Ulrich added, "I'm just as anxious for some action as you are."

"Well," Odd said, "don't go deactivating the tower just yet, Aelita. Let's have a little fun before we send XANA packing."

With that, the purple cat-boy ran off.

"Odd," Jeremie called out, "the activated tower is in the other direction."

* * *

XANA entered the assembly room and looked around. Like the main factory floor, this room had completely changed, too. The assembly line was still there, but was used more as a table than a conveyor. There were tables set up holding laboratory equipment; one table had the equipment kept in a large clear plastic box with opening containing gloves. The quantum ghost cast about for more information.

It heard sounds coming from the back of the room, and below. Drifting over, XANA descended to the aqueduct level. There, four men were unloading what looked like a raft, while another man looked on. Guessing that the observer was the leader of this detail, the specter went over and possessed the man watching the unloading.

Like the man on the main floor, XANA could do little more than scan the man's mind, so that's what he did. And what he found was pay dirt. This man knew about the drug that was being made here, for he was the one who was actually making it. The other men were unloading supplies for the drug's manufacture, which was being brought in underwater. Not only that, but once the raft was unloaded, it would be loaded with completed product to ship out.

XANA then read more about the drug, Bliss. This led the program back to where the man got the formula. If XANA had a voice, he would have gasped, for the drug originated in the Bolshoi Olyania Advanced Research Laboratories, where XANA's Siberian supercomputer was located. As a matter of fact, Bliss was an experimental drug XANA had developed, but discarded because it didn't do what the program wanted. Examining the man's memories made XANA re-evaluate that decision.

XANA learned that while Bliss didn't give him any better control over humans, it did distract humans from other things, and it could be used as leverage in making humans obey. Addicts in other cities were beggaring themselves just to get the drug, and unless stopped by outside means, would take it until it killed them.

Though XANA didn't have a mouth, it smiled.

_This will cause more chaos than I could ever generate,_ he thought, _and it requires no effort on my part; just let these people do what they are already doing. The only thing I need to do is make sure that the Lyoko Warriors are caught up in the conflagration._

It was risky, but XANA pulled energy away from William and poured it into this man. He stood rigid as the other workers kept at their task, totally oblivious to the scene behind them.

When XANA did this, William made his move.

* * *

"Yahoo!" Odd hollered as he shot his sixth Hornet. "I haven't lost the touch! I'm really on my game today!"

Ulrich and Yumi were fighting some Krabs, while Aelita flew over the scene. Against her better judgment, she allowed Odd to talk her into waiting before deactivating the tower, but told him that she would head in the instant she got word from Jeremie that he had found XANA's attack in the real world.

William hadn't been slacking, either. He was firing at Aelita in an attempt to knock her out of the sky and throw her into the Digital Sea, but she was able to evade him. Every now and then, one of the others would get clear enough to take a shot at XANA's minion, then return to their own battle.

Finally, Odd got tired of killing Hornets and confronted William.

"Hey, William! How's it been since London? Heard about what happened; maybe it was because you were hanging around all those dancers. I'm sure you must have caught some guy's eye!"

William responded by sending a huge arc of energy Odd's way.

"Takes one to know one, Odd,'" he replied, "aren't you and Ulrich afraid of getting caught one of these days?"

Ulrich stopped what he was doing and turned to William. "Are you implying that I'm gay?" he shouted.

William fired off another bolt at Odd and replied, "no, I'm flat out saying it, you two are gay. Given the way you can't seem to tell Yumi how you feel and the way you're so angsty, I figure you two must be humping each other, though I'm kinda surprised that you're the bitch in the relationship."

With that, Ulrich screamed and charged William, who deftly dodged the attack.

"Must have struck close to home, eh, Yumi?" XANA's minion smirked, "so, you two still hemming and hawing about your relationship? You two still 'friends?' Or, maybe you like to watch? Get a little live action yaoi, eh? Or maybe more..."

Suddenly, William clutched his head and screamed, then collapsed to the ground. He writhed a moment, then was still. The monsters that hadn't been destroyed yet turned in his direction and began firing at their companion.

William rolled out of the way, dodging all of the blasts directed at him. He got up and sprinted for the edge of the sector, to the Digital Sea. As he ran, he passed by Yumi. When he did, she gasped in surprise.

"Guys! XANA's not controlling William any more!"

* * *

XANA felt it when William escaped his grasp.

_No matter,_ XANA thought,_ The others won't let him die. I'll let him run and flail about before I pick him back up. His despair will be sweet to taste._

XANA then turned his attention back to the man he had trapped. His name was Vladimir Ptcharsky, and he had been an assistant chemist at Bolshoi Olyania. His supervisor gave him the task of doing the trials of Bliss back when XANA was experimenting with the substance. Vlad had seen the results on the test specimens, then took it upon himself to test it on humans. When he found out how Bliss affected people, he took the formula and ran.

Another thing that helped spur Vlad to flight was the deaths of several young girls in Bolshoi Olyania. He liked his partners young for some reason, but none of the ones he had chosen would cooperate. Vlad always regretted it when a girl would wind up dead, but he wanted what he wanted, and as long as he got what he wanted, he was happy.

This line of thought led XANA to the man's current partner, a girl named Aimee. The virus replayed the man's memory of the weekend, then what he had been told. This Aimee was going to school at Kadic Academy. This gave XANA an idea.

He carefully began manipulating the memories of Vladimir Ptcharsky. He took the memories of the weekend with Aimee, and added Aelita to them, making her an active participant. Taking cues from the man's memory of Aimee, he made Aelita's reactions stronger and more intense, giving the impression that the pink haired girl would enjoy what Vlad was doing even more than Aimee did. When he finished, XANA separated the new memory chain from the original, so as not to make the man suspicious. He set the chain in an area of the brain the program had identified as "fantasy," then added a powerful desire to it.

_That should give him something to think about,_ XANA chuckled to himself, _and this person is fool enough to believe that Aelita might actually cooperate with him. Whether she does or not is inconsequential; I've made his desire powerful enough that he should pursue her in any case. The confusion should be big enough and last long enough that I can finish recharging myself and complete the integration of my Replikas Once that is complete, I will never again have to worry about being destroyed by these children._

* * *

Yumi turned and ran after William. The now freed boy had just about made it to the edge of the Digital Sea when she threw herself forward and tackled him.

"NO! Let me go!" William shouted, "I'll never let him take me again! Lemeego!"

"William! William! It's alright!" Yumi said, trying to calm him down. She kept her hold on him as she moved up, finally pressing her weight down on his chest to pin him. "You're free; we won't hurt you."

"Kill me, for the love of God, kill me!" William shouted, "XANA's concentrating on someone else right now, but he'll be back for me. I can't go back to that, Yumi, I can't!"

By this time, the others had reached Yumi and William, forming a protective circle around them. Yumi then got up and let William up. She stood and took a step back, allowing William to stand up.

"William, it's alright. Jeremie! Can you devirtualize William now?" Yumi said.

"He's still there?" came Jeremie's voice, "I just saw him drop off the display, so I assumed you sent him packing."

"No, he's still here, in the middle of us," Aelita said, "he seems free of XANA's influence."

"Sorry, I don't see anything in the middle of your circle," Jeremie said, "if William's still there, he's missing something that enables me to register him."

"XANA still has part of me," William said, "I'll never be free unless he releases me. My only way out is death. Please, let me jump into the Sea; that's the only thing that might do it."

"We aren't going to let you die," Yumi said, "we don't leave a comrade behind."

"But I'm not your comrade any more," William said, "after what I've done to you, and almost done, I don't have the right."

"William, it's alright," Ulrich finally said, "we know it's not you, even though I'm still peeved about that gay crack."

"You don't understand, none of you do!" William snapped, "XANA poked and prodded me, pulling up all my darkest fantasies and desires, and he incorporated them into himself! That time, back in London, when I almost raped Aelita, I was screaming in my mind for him to stop, but he wouldn't! He just kept on, savoring the pleasure of seeing her cower. It excited him, and he forced me to feel it too! Forced me to feel it and enjoy it! In idle moments, he's played out what he was going to do to each of you in my mind, forcing me to live it and make it worse; all the time making it feel good to me, making me want it and more. I'm afraid that even if you manage to get me back in the real world, I'll become the monster that XANA has made me; that I'll hurt you, or someone else, and like it!"

With that, William dropped to his knees. Yumi stepped forward and knelt down before him. She reached out a hand and lifted his face up.

"Don't give up hope, Will," she told him, "we'll get you out, and we'll find a way to undo what XANA has done."

"I'd like that," William said, then shuddered a moment, "but what I want even more is to hear you scream!"

With that, William drove his gauntleted arm into Yumi's midsection, devirtualizing her. Odd, silently ready for trouble, fired several Laser Arrows into William's back, devirtualizing him.

"Well, the snake has shown his true skin," Ulrich said.

"No," Aelita replied, "he showed us he was still in there, waiting to be rescued."

"Well, whatever," Odd said, "maybe it's time to deactivate the tower, though I do feel like shooting a few more monsters."

"It looks like we don't have to worry about a tower, Odd," Jeremie said, "whatever XANA was doing, he finished it and left. Stand by and I'll bring you all in."

* * *

"Hey Vlad, is everything okay?" one of the workers asked the chemist.

Vlad snapped to just like he had been in a trance. "_Da,_ okay. Put supplies away and get Bliss ready to move. I'm taking walk to clear head."

With that, Vlad turned and went up to the laboratory, then out. As soon as he entered the main factory floor, he heard the elevator working. He took a step back out of sight and watched. The door opened and several teens got out, one of them the pink haired DJ that worked the club. The moment he laid eyes on Aelita, the fantasy XANA planted in his mind sprang to the forefront. As she walked, he imagined what it would be like to have her and Aimee, together in his bed. He stood there until well after the children had left.

"Vlad!" Anitoly shouted, seeing the chemist hiding, "remember what Giuseppe said, don't touch her! Things going too good to screw up now!"

"I know, I know," Vlad replied, coming on into the main factory floor, "I do nothing, just get fresh air."

With that, he left the factory to take a break, and fantasize more about a certain pink haired DJ.


	18. Educational Bliss

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Aimee's introduction to school life didn't start the way she thought it would.

Her roommate, Aelita, disappeared within minutes of Aimee meeting her, and didn't return for a couple of hours. Jim Moralés, in the meantime, lugged in the rest of her furniture, rearranged the room so it would fit, then lectured her about the school rules. Aimee kept a wary eye on him as he lectured, waiting for the eventual "other shoe" to drop. To her surprise, it never did.

Aelita returned just in time for dinner. She escorted Aimee to the cafeteria, deflecting Aimee's questions about where she had been. They got their meals, and Aelita escorted her over to a table where her friends were waiting. She introduced Aimee to everyone, then the sat down and ate.

Aelita primarily talked with Aimee; once in a while the others would ask a question or inject a comment. Aimee responded with the story Giuseppe gave her, which was very close to the truth. As they talked, Aimee regarded Aelita's friends, the others she had to keep an eye on.

_There's no way these dorks would be a danger to anyone, other than themselves,_ Aimee quickly concluded. Oh, they were nice enough, at least right now, but the only two that seem to act like they had a functioning brain was Aelita and the blond kid with glasses, Jeremie. Even then, those two were so lost in the clouds as to be of no earthly good.

Aimee talked and nodded and smiled every now and then, playing her part and settling in to life here. She had a place to stay, food to eat, and she didn't have to sleep with anyone to get it, well other than Vlad.

* * *

Aimee caused quite a stir the next morning. Aelita woke her up at six in the morning to shower and dress for the day. The two got their things, went to the girl's showers, and got to the back of a very long line.

"What's the deal?" Aimee said.

Aelita shrugged and replied, "Sissi must still be in the showers. Whenever she's there, no one else can get in."

"And the reason for this is?"

"It's always been that way, I guess," the pink haired girl replied with a yawn, "Sissi really isn't all that bad; she just has a few habits she needs to break."

"Well, there's no time like the present," Aimee said, then stepped out of the line.

She walked up to the shower room door, opened it and went inside. There was a shout and what sounded like the sounds of a scuffle, then the door opened and Sissi came flying out, naked. She landed in a soggy heap on the floor. Behind her, Aimee appeared in the doorway.

"I don't know about you, but from where I come from, hogging the bathroom is rude," Aimee said, "from what I can see, there ain't nothing so special about you that you have to bathe alone, so either get used to company or find someplace else to shower. Got it?"

Elizabeth Delmas looked up from the floor, her face darkening with anger and embarrassment.

"Just who do you think you are?!" she roared back, "I'm the principal's daughter, and don't you think I won't be in daddy's office telling him what you did!"

"Does he like seeing you naked?" Aimee replied, "'cause that's how you're going if you go now. Girls! Shower's open for business!"

With that, Aimee stepped back and let the rest of the girls file in. Sissi could only sit and glare. When Aelita came up, she extended her hand to her friend.

"You knew this was going to happen some day," Aelita said as she helped Sissi up, "she's new, and she's had a hard time of it. And, honestly, what could happen to you in a room full of girls?"

Aimee next shocked everyone when she undressed. Everyone stopped and stared when they saw the remnants of the scars on her, and the word "bitch" shone from her like a beacon. Milly was so shocked, she dropped her bottle of shampoo. Aimee just sighed.

"Look," she said to the room, "I didn't have the fairytale life you all did, so I'll just say this once. Yes, I was abused. Yes, I've had bones broken. Yeah, one guy thought it would be cute if he cut the word "bitch" in my chest so I'd remember him. Yes, those are cigarette burns. No, those aren't needle tracks; I will not do drugs for anyone. I've been put through things and done things you can't even imagine; and, no, I won't talk about it. My uncle is giving me a chance to start all over, and one of the first things I'm doing is putting my past behind me. So, have a good look, then get on with your lives, because that's what I'm doing."

With that, the girl threw a towel over her shoulder and walked into the showers.

"Did you know that?" one of the girls asked Aelita.

"I knew she had a rough past, but I didn't know about that," she replied.

* * *

Aimee had to spend the rest of the day not noticing the stares of the other students. Word of her actions this morning spread faster than a cold. Some of the students looked like they wanted to ask more about it, but a glare from her put them off.

Fortunately, she spent most of her day with teachers. They had the job of finding out just how far behind she was in her education. They asked her questions and gave her tests; asked her to do problems on a blackboard, and generally had her jumping through hoops.

Aimee also had to endure a session with the principal. Just as she had said, Sissi had gone to her father (not naked), and told him what had happened. When he asked her about the incident, Aimee just replied that she wasn't aware that the principal's daughter had privileges that the other students didn't, and she would be more respectful of that in the future. Mr. Delmas hemmed and hawed before saying that Sissi didn't have special privileges, and he would have a word with her on the matter. He then turned to the other incident in the showers.

"Your uncle didn't mention that you were physically abused," he said.

"You didn't ask," Aimee replied, "we also didn't think it would be appropriate to bring up."

"Have you seen a doctor?" he next asked.

"Yes," she replied, "look, I know I have issues about my past; but for the most part, I'm not letting it affect my life. Yeah, I look a little more spectacular because of my scars, but other than that, I won't let them rule my life."

"I can appreciate that. However, if you ever feel the need to talk, please don't hesitate in seeing me. I'm here to help you as much as I can."

"Thanks," Aimee replied, "but Uncle Giuseppe is giving me all the help I can handle right now."

* * *

The afternoon was filled with more sessions with teachers, and Aimee was starting to re-evaluate her thoughts about going to school. This whole process was becoming a drag, and she hadn't even started classes yet!

Her last session was with the science teacher, Mrs. Hertz. She was a thin woman, with grey hair and large glasses, and a look that brooked little defiance.

"So, you've never had any science before?" she asked.

"No. Like you've been told, my education was spotty at best, and science never made the roster," Aimee replied.

"Well, we're going to have to correct that," Mrs. Hertz replied, then handed her a text book. "The class you will be joining is currently studying chapter 26," she said, "I'll tell the principal that you will be joining my class tomorrow. Tonight, I want you to go over that chapter, just so you will have some idea of what is going on. I understand Aelita Stones is your roommate and tutor. I'll see to it she knows to help you out. Now, are there any questions?"

"Probably," Aimee replied, "but I don't know what they are yet."

"That's probably the most intelligent statement I've ever heard a student utter," the teacher said with a slight smile, "reading that chapter may give you questions to ask."

As Aimee left, she thought about Mrs. Hertz a moment. For some reason, something felt off about the woman, at least compared to the other adults she had met here. Something felt off, and hauntingly familiar.

* * *

After Aimee left, Suzanne Hertz slumped back in her chair and sighed. Evaluating the Simon girl was the last task of the day, and it had been a long one.

For some reason, work had become more tedious. She had always enjoyed teaching, despite what the students thought, but this was different. Going through the same lessons again seemed boring and flat, almost a pain to endure. Almost without thinking, she reached down and opened a desk drawer, the one where she kept her purse. She pulled the bag out and rummaged around in it, finally pulling out a pink nasal spray bottle.

_I really shouldn't,_ she thought to herself, _but a little sniff won't hurt. Just a little something to get me home._

Suzanne opened the bottle, put it to her nose and give it a small squeeze, shooting a small amount of Bliss into her nose. It tingled and she sneezed, just before the pleasure started pouring through her body.

She turned her chair away from the door so no one could see anything if they chanced to look in, then reached inside her blouse and began playing with herself, amplifying the sensations generated by the drug.

She continued like that for around a half hour, then pulled herself together and staggered out of the room.

She would finish what she started at home, with more Bliss.


	19. A Bad Connection

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

It was Thursday before the new girl was able to attend any classes. After reviewing the evaluations done by the teaching staff, Mr. Delmas put Aimee in mostly seventh-grade classes, except for Science and PE. Mrs. Hertz made the recommendation that even though she had never had a science class, she should be able to pick up what she needed as she went along.

That meant that Aimee didn't see the people she was supposed to keep an eye on except at meals, that one class and gym. Aelita wasn't an issue; since she roomed with the girl, and they spent a lot of afternoons together tutoring, but Aimee wanted to have at least some contact with the others, just to keep tabs.

Aimee and Aelita had just finished up their tutoring session today when Aelita asked, "say, you want to come to The Factory with me tonight?"

"The Factory?" was Aimee's reply.

"Yeah; it's a teen's club near the school. I work there as a DJ, but I'm not on tonight, so I like to go and dance a little. Wanna come?"

"Don't you generally go with that one boy? Jeremie?"

"Yeah, but he's still on crutches. So, how 'bout it?"

"Sure."

* * *

Jeremie Belpois limped his way to the gym. His sprained ankle gave him an excuse to skip PE, but he had made this appointment before he had his accident. The nurse had taken him off of crutches and given him a cane, telling him to put more weight on his foot, but not too much, and he should be walking normally in about a week.

Hopefully, just in time for him to utilize what he was about to learn.

The blond-haired genius pushed open the door and walked into the gym. There, in the center, stood Jim Moralés and Suzanne Hertz, waiting. He quickened his pace a little, and soon joined them.

"You sure you want to do this today, Belpois?" Jim asked, "the last thing I need is to have you hurt again."

"I'm sure, Jim," Jeremie replied, holding up his cane, "I'm doing a lot better. See? No crutches."

"Jim, it'll be alright," Mrs. Hertz said, "let's just get this started."

"Okay," was the reply, "go over to Mrs. Hertz and stand in front of her."

Jeremie walked over and stood in front of Suzanne.

"Lose the cane, Belpois," Jim said.

Jeremie dropped the cane out of the way.

"Okay, put one hand on her side and with your other hand, clasp hers."

Jeremie tentatively put his right hand on Mrs. Hertz side, just at her hip. Suzanne immediately stiffened and moved it up a few inches. Blushing, he put his other hand out, and she took it in hers.

"Good. Now, when we start..."

Jeremie listened to his instructions and did what he was told. Whenever he moved his feet, Mrs. Hertz did the same. After a few minutes, Jim told them to stop.

"Okay, now let's try a little music."

The gym teacher bent down and pressed the play button on a CD player he had brought. When he did, music began to play.

"Okay, now, just like you did before."

Jeremie and Mrs. Hertz began again. It was awkward at first, but the boy eventually began to get the hang of it. He was actually beginning to dance in time with the music. As they danced, Jeremie began to notice something. For some reason, Mrs. Hertz was tense, almost to the point of shivering. He could feel her breathing quickly, almost panting.

"Mrs. Hertz, is something wrong?" he asked out loud.

"No, everything is alright," she replied, "just don't step on my feet."

The way she replied made Jeremie look up at her. Mrs. Hertz looked like she was making a valiant effort to keep a straight face, and was slowly losing. Every now and then, she would get a look like she was in pain, and then almost smile. A couple of times, it seemed like she was almost ready to collapse, but then she would stiffen up.

Finally, the music ended. Jeremie let go and stepped back as his partner did the same.

"Well, that was pretty good for a first time," Jim said, "now, for the next step..."

"Jim, I'm afraid I can't continue," Suzanne interrupted, "I'm not feeling very well."

With that, she turned and fairly well ran for the girl's locker room.

"I thought something was wrong," Jeremie said.

"And she said she was looking forward to this session," Jim mused, "I was going to finally teach her the Brazilian Tango after we finished up. Oh well. Belpois, that should help you out a little bit. At least now you won't be shuffling your feet; you'll be shuffling your feet with a purpose. Next time, if you want, we'll add a little more."

Taking that as a dismissal, Jeremie carefully walked over and picked up his cane, then left.

As his student left, Jim wondered if Suzanne was okay. He turned and walked to the locker rooms.

* * *

As soon as she opened the door to the girl's locker room, Suzanne Hertz started tearing off her clothes. She had another dreary day today; and against all common sense, took a hit of Bliss before going over to the gym. The effect was immediate, but not as intense as before, but it did perk her up. She went over, thinking that this would be enough for the day, and was looking forward to the Tango lesson with Jim afterwards.

That all changed the moment Belpois put his hand on her hip. When he did, she got a jolt of pleasure that almost made her cry out. It took all of her willpower to move his hand up to her side and not down to her groin. The entire session, short as it was, she fought the urge to pull him closer and do things that would get her both fired and arrested. When the song ended, she broke away and ran for the locker room. Now that she was here, she could let the sensations overwhelm her.

Fortunately, the locker room was empty. Suzanne threw herself down on the first bench she saw and began fondling herself, trying to bring herself to orgasm as quickly as possible to vent the feelings she was bottling up. She quickly came, groaning to keep from screaming out, but the feelings only intensified. She kept on, not stopping, getting harder, faster and rougher; anything to sate the desire and make it pass. She was about to reach another peak when she heard the last thing she wanted to hear in the world.

"Uh, Suzanne? You okay in there?" came Jim Moralés voice.

The surprise at hearing his voice made the science teacher cry out. Immediately, the door opened and Jim rushed in, thinking that Suzanne was in trouble. When he came upon her, Jim froze. Suzanne lay sprawled out on the bench, stark naked, doing things he had only seen women do in men's magazines years ago.

"What the..." was all he got out.

When Suzanne saw Jim standing over her, a part of her died. Another part of her died when her mouth uttered, "don't just stand there and watch; get over here and help!"

* * *

Aelita and Aimee joined the others for dinner. Everyone just chattered on about normal things, catching up on the day as they ate.

"Jeremie, Aimee and I are going over to The Factory tonight," Aelita said, "you don't have a problem with that?"

"Why should I?" Jeremie replied, "my only problem is I can't go with you."

"So, Einstein, how'd the dance lesson go," Odd asked.

"Short. Kinda weird, too," Jeremie replied, "Mrs. Hertz was there as my dance partner, but she was acting strange. I don't think she was feeling very well."

"It's my first week, so I'm not the best qualified to judge," Aimee said, "but she's somewhat of an oddball."

"Huh?" the others said.

"She's not like the other adults here," Aimee said, "something's different about her."

"What's that?" Ulrich asked.

"I don't know," was the reply, "I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Well, she is rather strict," Yumi mentioned, "step out of line or smart off at her and she'll come down on you."

"That's not what I meant," Aimee shot back, "it's different, different."

* * *

Suzanne opened her eyes and looked around her, trying to get her bearings. Somehow, they had wound up in the girl's showers. She was slumped down just under a spout, and Jim was lying just in front of her, passed out.

She groaned at the memory of the last hour. Jim had stood over her both dumbfounded and excited when she told him to take her. He hesitated long enough for her to get up and fairly well rip his clothes off and throwing him down on the bench before jumping him. What followed was fairly well an orgy: they did it on the bench, against the lockers, the wall, the floor, and finally in the showers. And that's where she finally collapsed.

Now, she was staring at the last thing she ever wanted to see, Jim Moralés naked.

Suzanne Hertz was doomed. If Jean-Pierre found out about this, she would be fired. When Jim came around, he would probably think they were a couple now, at the very least. And lastly, she had lost control. She came very close to raping a student, and fairly well did rape Jim, though he probably wouldn't see it that way. And all of it because she took a hit of Bliss before she came over today.

The worst part of all was, she _needed_ that hit. Even now, her mind was telling her to get the bottle out of her purse and take another hit.

Just then, Jim groaned and started to come around. There was no place to run, no place to hide; Jim was between her and the doorway. He opened his eyes, lifted his head up to look at her, his face one of bemused confusion.

"What was that all about," he finally said.

Suzanne drew her legs up to cover herself. "Jim, this never happened," she said, "I came, helped you out with Belpois, and left. That's all. This didn't happen, and it will never happen again, understand?"

Jim struggled up and sat Indian style before the woman. "Yeah, right," he said, "Suzanne, there's something wrong here. I mean, yeah I like you, but you never gave any indication that you particularly liked me. Now, all of a sudden, you jump my bones? I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but something here doesn't add up."

"Jim, it's none of your business!" Suzanne snapped.

"After the last hour, I'd say it was my business," Jim snapped back, "especially if this gets out. I'm a goner if the principal finds out."

"Then it's definitely in your best interests to keep this quiet," Suzanne said, "it's in both our interests."

"And just where does that leave us, then?"

"Nowhere, Jim, same as before."

With that, Jim got up. "Suzanne, I don't know what's going on here, but there's a problem. When you're ready to talk to someone about it, I'll listen."

With that, the gym teacher turned and left. Suzanne watched him go and wondered just how she got into this mess.


	20. A Picture

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Thursday nights usually weren't that busy at The Factory, since the next day was still a school day, so Aelita and Aimee were able to quickly get inside, Aelita paying Aimee's cover charge.

The two girls went down to the main factory floor, where the guests were milling about, talking. Aelita guided Aimee over to the refreshment bar, where Gennedy Checkov was stationed.

"Hi, Gennedy! How's it going?" the pink haired girl asked in greeting.

"Good, good," he replied with a smile, "not too busy tonight. Always more busy when you performing."

Aelita blushed at that. "Say, this is my friend, Aimee," she then said, "she's new at school, and I wanted to show her around. Aimee, this is Gennedy. He's one of the senior security people here."

"Hi," was all Aimee said, since she already knew both of Giuseppe's men here. Gennedy, for his part, just smiled and nodded in reply, and Aelita seemed to accept that.

"Girls, have drink," Gennedy then said, motioning to the server behind the counter. "We put on your tab," he then added, winking at Aelita.

Aimee took the drink and found it was white soda. Aelita smiled and said, "what did you think, wine? This is an under age establishment. No alcohol."

Just then, Henri Bass came out and introduced the band performing this evening. Everyone applauded as they came out, then began to dance when the music started playing.

Aelita put her glass down and took Aimee by the hand.

"C'mon, let's get you started," she said.

The pink haired girl pulled the red haired one into the throng and started dancing. Aimee caught on quickly and joined in, letting her guard down for just a little bit and enjoying herself.

* * *

Vladimir Ptcharsky was bored. Here it was, Thursday night, and the time seemed to be dragging on. His assistants were busy watching the latest batch of Bliss concentrate, so he had nothing to do. To pass the time, Vlad was sitting at the security camera monitors, watching the partying going on in the club.

When the club was set up, Vittorio Santini had Henri Bass route the signals from the club's security cameras into the lab, as well as the club's security boards, so the goings on in the club could be monitored from the lab. This was so the workers in the lab would have some kind of heads up for trouble, if it should come their way.

Vlad was using the system to wile away the time. He would switch the cameras every now and then to catch a good view of a girl that caught his eye. He would watch her for a while, fantasizing, then move on to another. It wasn't like being with Aimee, but it did make the night pass by.

Something caught his eye, and Vladimir straightened up in his chair. There, in the monitor before him, were Aimee and the pink haired DJ, dancing!

The man's gaze locked on the scene, watching the two girls dance and have fun. They seemed to be dancing separately, but in a together-like way. Every now and then, one or the other would look at the other and smile before turning away, almost like two lovers flirting with each other.

The fantasy that had been haunting Vlad's mind all week roared back in force. Now, he was imagining the two girls dancing closer together, their moves becoming synchronized and sensuous, finally culminating in a long kiss. Oh, how he longed to be with them!

Which gave him an idea. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

"Hello?" came Aimee's voice.

"Hello," Vlad said in return, "you look beautiful tonight."

"You're watching me?"

"_Da,_ on security cameras."

"So, you like what you see." Looking at the monitor, Vlad could see Aimee take a coy posture when she said that.

"Very much," he replied, "I want you to dance more with pink haired girl. Really dance with her."

"Aelita?" came Aimee's response, "what for?"

"I like watching you two together."

"Well, now I'm getting jealous," she replied with an almost pout, "I only want you to have eyes for me."

"I always have eyes for you," he replied, "I like the way you look when you dance with her."

"Well, I don't know..."

"Please," he said, mock pleading with her, "seeing you dance with her makes me wish I were in her place. Dance with her like she was me."

There was silence on the other end of the cell. "I'll see what I can do," Aimee finally said, "no promises though."

* * *

Aimee ended the call and looked up at the security cameras all around the factory floor. She figured that Giuseppe must have given Vlad her number, and seeing her here must have prompted him to try it out. What bothered her though was his wanting to draw Aelita into this situation. Giuseppe had said in no uncertain terms that it was her job to keep Vlad amused, but the gangster was also worried about anything that would draw undue attention to the operation here. She also knew that Vlad was under strict orders not to mess around with any of the locals, and Aelita definitely qualified as a local.

But the last thing she wanted to do was piss Vlad off just before the weekend, so she set about fulfilling his request. It wasn't like Vlad wanted to drag her into the lab, was it?

She looked about and saw Aelita talking to a couple of kids. She made her way over, then took the pink haired girl's arm, gently pulling her away.

"How about another round?" she asked her friend. Aelita just smiled, said goodbye to the people she was talking to, and followed Aimee into the crowd.

They found a spot and began dancing again. This time, however, Aimee made sure to dance with Aelita rather than along side her. This surprised her partner for a moment, but she shrugged it off and and danced along. As they danced, Aimee synchronized herself with Aelita and drew closer to her. Finally, she was in arms reach, so Aimee reached out and took her in her arms. Aelita giggled somewhat at the intimacy, but kept dancing, thinking nothing of Aimee's actions. The music finally reached its climax, then ended. Everybody stopped and applauded as the DJ left to take a break.

"What was that all about?" Aelita asked.

"Just having a little fun with a friend," Aimee replied, "don't worry, I won't steal you away from Jeremie."

Aelita just blushed as she smiled, and the two girls walked over to the refreshment bar for a drink.

* * *

Back in the lab, Vlad was glued to the monitor, watching Aimee dance with the pink haired girl. The reality of their performance was even better than his fantasy. At the end, he was begging Aimee to kiss her, ravish her mouth there in front of everyone; but of course that didn't happen. All too soon the music ended and the couple broke apart. The voyeur slumped back in his chair, visibly spent.

"Hey, Vlad," came one of the assistants, "we've finished the next stage. You wanna check it out?"

"_Da,_ be there soon," Vlad replied as he got up from his seat. Before he went back to work, he called Aimee again.

"So, you like?" was the first thing she said when she answered.

"I like very much," he replied, "when you come to me Saturday, bring pictures of her."

"What kind of pictures?"

"You know what kind."

"Now I am getting jealous," she said, "we haven't been together a week and you're looking at another girl."

"It's not what you think," Vlad snapped, "bring me pictures or I will be very unhappy."

With that, Vlad hung up and went down to check the Bliss.

* * *

Aimee was worried when she hung up. She knew what Vlad wanted, pictures of Aelita naked. He had something in mind, and that boded ill for Aimee. Yet, if she didn't deliver, he may well kill her when they got together over the weekend.

"Hey, why so glum?" Aelita asked, jolting Aimee back to reality.

"Oh, nothing," Aimee replied, "boyfriend trouble."

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend," Aelita said, "he's not connected with your past, is he?"

"Not like you think," she replied, "look, I'm gonna head back to school. I'll see you later."

With that, Aimee left, thinking about ways she could get what Vlad wanted before Saturday.

* * *

Friday came and Aimee was still pondering how to get the picture Vlad wanted. She even went so far as taking her cell phone into the showers with her, hoping to catch Aelita at the right angle, but in such a way that she wouldn't know she had been photographed. As luck would have it, she never got the chance. There were too many girls getting ready for the day, and no way she could snap Aelita and not have anyone know about it.

The roommates dressed for the day, then went down and got breakfast. Aimee felt comfortable enough to sit by herself today, a silent message saying _no, I'm not joined to the hip of my roommate._ Breakfast past quickly, and Aimee went to her first class.

* * *

On the way to class after breakfast, Odd grabbed Jeremie by the arm.

"Jer, you gotta help me!" Odd began.

"What now?" was Jeremie's reply.

"I gotta use your computer; there's a picture I want to send Marie!" Odd quickly explained.

"One, who's Marie; two, what's this picture you want to send; and three, no way! The last time you futzed with my computer, it took me a week to put it back together!"

"I promise, Jeremie; no soda and pop rocks this time!"

"No."

"Jer, it's life or death here!"

The genius thought for a moment. "Well, I miiight be able to help you out, but it's gonna cost you," he told his blond friend.

"What? I'll do anything!"

"I'll pull your picture off your memory card and send it to you so you can send it to Marie, on the condition that you give me something in return."

"Anything! Name it!"

"I want that picture you and Ulrich have of me and Aelita."

"You mean..."

"Yep, that one. Not only do I want the image file, I want _all_ of the copies you two have. Do that and I'll help you out."

"I can't do that, Jer! It's on Ulrich's card!"

"I don't care if it's in the Mona Lisa's picture frame. That's my price; take it or leave it."

Odd stared at his friend for a moment, then slumped in defeat. Jeremie smiled because he knew that he had won this one.

"Okay. After school?"

"Fine, Odd. Oh, and by the way; if I see that picture pop up anywhere, the next time you go to Lyoko, I'll drop you naked in the middle of a swarm of Kankerlats."

* * *

Science was, for all practical purposes, canceled today because Mrs. Hertz called in sick. All the substitute did was have them read their textbooks, while he sat up front reading a magazine. This gave the students a chance to openly do what a lot of them did in secret when the science teacher was here, goof off. Aimee just sat in her place and pondered her next opportunity.

Just about the last chance she had of getting a shot of Aelita was in PE class, either before or afterwards. Once again, the opportunity never presented itself, and Aimee was starting to get nervous about how Vlad will react when she came up empty handed.

PE was okay, just rock climbing. Off to the side, Aelita's boyfriend Jeremie was sitting and watching while carefully doing stretching exercises, being extremely careful when he stretched his injured leg. A few times, Aelita sidled over to him and they talked until Jim hollered for Aelita to get back in line. Aimee, and quite a few others, chuckled at the couple's antics.

After gym, everyone dressed and headed for their dorms, for PE was the last class of the day. Aimee was hoping that Aelita might change clothes in their room, but such was not the case.

"I'm going to stop by Jeremie's before I head to dinner," Aelita announced after dropping her stuff on the bed, "after that, we can have a quick tutoring session, then I've got to go to The Factory tonight."

"Aren't you going to change before you go?" the red head asked.

"No, I change at the club," Aelita replied, "you wanna come along? You really haven't had a chance to get to know Jer yet."

"Sure, what the heck."

* * *

Just about as soon as his butt hit the chair, someone was knocking at Jeremie's door.

"Hey, Einstein! I've got it!" came Odd's voice.

"Come in," he replied.

The door opened and Odd slipped in, closing the door behind him.

"Okay," Odd said as he walked over to the computer desk, "I've got what you asked for."

He presented Jeremie with a memory card.

"This has the picture you want on it," he said.

Jeremie said nothing; he just took the card and loaded into a slot in his computer. As soon as he did, a window of files popped open on the display. Jeremie opened each file in the window and examined it until he found the file he was looking for. When he found it, he pulled it from the folder and put it in the trash icon on his desktop. He then went back to the window he got the file from and continued looking at each file. Satisfied that there were no more copies of the file on the card, he typed something in another window. Another window opened up, and displayed a bar showing percentage complete. When it reached 100, Jeremie clicked on the close button, closed the window on his display, and removed the memory card from its slot.

"There. There's no way anyone is going to be able to recover that picture now," he said, "I also believe I told you to bring any hard copies of it you have."

"Here," Odd said, handing him a sheaf of papers, each one a copy of the dreaded picture.

Jeremie took the papers and set them on his desk, face down. He looked about for a moment, then mentally shrugged and upturned his trashcan. Next, Jeremie took the offending pictures and dropped them in the now empty waste bin, all except one. This one he took and set on fire with a match that seemed to appear from nowhere. Once it was well lit, the genius dropped the page in the can with the rest of the evidence. As the pictures burned, Jeremie got up on his desk and opened the window, praying that the smoke didn't get so thick someone would think the building was on fire. Satisfied, he sat back in his chair and watch the pictures burn. It took a couple of minutes, but they all were finally reduced to unrecognizable ash.

Once the smoke settled down, Jeremie turned to Odd and said, "okay, a deal's a deal. Where's the picture you want me to send?"

"On this one," Odd said, handing him another memory card.

Jeremie took this card and did the same thing as the first one. At one point, Odd told him to stop, that he had found the picture he wanted sent. Jeremie took said file and pasted it into an email, as an attachment, and emailed it to Odd's school mailbox.

"Done. Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Della Robbia," Jeremie said with a smile, "feel free to come back anytime."

"Yeah," Odd said, dejected, "you know Ulrich is gonna kill me, right?"

"And it couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

After Odd left, Jeremie turned back to his computer. he clicked on the trash icon, opening a window. He quickly found the file he had dropped in there and copied it to another folder, one that had powerful encryption protecting it. Once done, the genius hesitated a moment, then opened it. There, displayed in all its glory, was a reminder of an incident he would have rather forgotten, for the most part.

How Odd (or was it Ulrich?) had gotten this picture during that XANA attack was beyond Jeremie's ken. But there they were, Mr. and Mrs. Einstein, sprinting naked across the campus; running full tilt boogie into the forest for the factory. At the time, Jeremie didn't think their predicament was funny, but now, there was room for humor in his memory. Humor and a little more.

Jeremie took a moment and zoomed in on Aelita. Ever since she pulled that stunt back when the club opened, Jeremie had started looking, and thinking, about her in a different way; and seeing this picture when his friends blackmailed him into getting back at her only intensified it. He gazed at it for a long time, trying to etch every curve into his memory, trying to match what he saw in the picture to what he saw whenever they were together. He knew that this wasn't right, and if Aelita caught him...

Just then, someone knocked at the door, then walked in. Jeremie had no time to do anything other than blank his display. He quickly turned around to see Aelita and her roommate Aimee walk in.

"Hi there, stranger," Aelita said in greeting, "what's burning? You remember Aimee, right?"

"Uh, small accident," Jeremie replied, trying to pull himself together mentally, "howyadoing Aimee?"

"Okay," the new girl replied, "say, that looks like a pretty good computer you got there; mind if I have a look?"

"NO!" Jeremie blurted out, "I, I, I've got some research running on it right now, and it can't be disturbed. M-maybe some other time."

"What research, Jeremie?" Aelita asked.

"I-I'm doing some searching into Viking lore," Jeremie replied, emphasizing the word 'viking,' "it's for that ongoing project I've got, remember?"

"Oh, that," Aelita said, catching on, "well, anyway; I just came by to pick you up for dinner. Are you coming to the club tonight?"

"Yeah, though I don't know if I'm up to dancing yet," Jeremie said, confident he had bluffed his way out of trouble, "well, let's get going."

With that, he got up, got his cane and made for the door. Aelita got up after him, then Aimee. The three headed out; Jeremie assuming that Aimee would pull the door shut behind her. She didn't.

As the couple walked down the hall, Aimee paused at the door. When they left the floor, she turned and went back in Jeremie's room, and over to his computer. She took the mouse and moved it, causing the display to light up again.

_Bingo!_ she thought as she saw the picture on the monitor. She thought she saw a flash of pink before the display went blank, and played a hunch.

_So, nerd boy is like everyone else,_ Aimee thought with a chuckle as she looked at him and Aelita cavorting naked in the courtyard. How they got away with that was beyond her, but she had what she needed.

She sat down and took out her cell phone. She removed the memory card from it and put it in a corresponding slot in Jeremie's computer. Immediately, a window opened up, and she copied the image to that window. She then closed it and removed the memory stick from the slot. She didn't know how Jeremie had blanked the screen when they walked in, so she left it and hoped that it would blank by itself.

She got up and quickly left Jeremie's room, catching up to the couple just as they were walking into the cafeteria. She explained her tardiness by saying she had to go to the bathroom, and they fell for it.

As she settled down to eat, she congratulated herself on such a fantastic bit of luck, and hoped the image would satisfy Vlad when they got together.


	21. Friday Night

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

After dinner, Jim Moralés came up to Aimee and told her that her uncle was here. She nodded, bid Aelita and the others goodbye, and left.

Giuseppe was waiting in the Principal's Office for her. Mr. Delmas motioned her to a seat and she sat down.

"Before you left for the weekend, I wanted to have a talk with you," he began, "I am still concerned about the incident in the showers the other day."

"Incident?" Giuseppe said.

"Yes. Miss Simon caused quite a stir in the showers her first day here," the principal said, "I was never informed that she had such scarring on her. Has she been examined by a doctor?"

"Yes," was the quick reply, "when she came into my care, one of the first things I did was take her to my family physician. He tells me that her injuries are healed, but of course there are scars. I assure you, none of those marks are recent."

"Still, I would like to have more information, for our records," Mr. Delmas said, "I would appreciate it if her doctor sent over copies of her records, just for our files, you understand."

"Of course," Giuseppe said, "I'll see that it's done next week."

Afterwards, the mobster was grumbling as they walked out of the school.

"Looks like I'll have to get medical records for you," he said, "it's a pain, but there's a doctor I know."

"Sorry for the trouble," Aimee said.

"Don't worry 'bout it," he replied, "so, I take it you're settling in?"

"Yeah. As luck would have it, my roommate is Aelita. I've already met most of her friends, and I don't think you have anything to worry about. She's about as naive as I've ever seen, and the others aren't much better."

"Well, I figured as much, but you're insurance against them getting curious. Now, get in the car, Vlad is anxiously awaiting."

* * *

Anton Solovieff smiled as he walked through the gates of Kadic Academy again. It had been a long week, talking with the Narcotic detectives, their superiors and the politicians about the growing Bliss problem. More than a few were skeptical that there was a problem, and Anton had to do something to change their minds.

He had spent most of the week going over police reports of disturbances with a sexual component to them. Things like upswings in prostitution, public lewdness, and the like. Crimes that wouldn't immediately be connected with drugs, but could be connected to Bliss. The interesting thing was, these crimes took a marked jump upwards in the past month. Beat cops were reporting people engaging in sexual activities in public, and seemingly unable to stop. There were a few cases where the subjects had to be repeatedly tasered in order to get them to stop and be arrested.

Working another hunch, Anton called around to hospitals, hospices and nursing homes around Paris and inquired if the mortality rate jumped recently. While there wasn't a noticeable jump in deaths, a couple of doctors he spoke to commented that some of the deaths were quite interesting: a terminal patient who had been in severe pain suddenly pain free and happy, in some cases even laughing, right before they died. One doctor even commented that one of his terminal patients seemed like they had orgasmed several times before passing away.

These anecdotes gave Anton enough ammunition to return to the politicos and show them that they did indeed seem to have a problem. Though most were still skeptical, they were curious enough to have the Narcotics Division investigate further. Next week, Anton and Michelette would begin following up on the cases Anton had dug up, to see if there were other signs of Bliss on the street.

But all that was behind him now, or ahead of him. Right now, all he wanted to do was spend a little time with his niece, and forget about Bliss and the trouble it was causing.

As he walked across the courtyard on the way to the Administration Building, he heard a voice cry out, "Uncle Anton!" Turning, he saw Milly Solovieff running up to him, a huge smile on her face.

"Milly!" he called out in return as she launched herself at him, catching him in a big hug, "oh! You hit so hard! You'll knock an old man down at this rate!"

"I'm just glad to see you," Milly replied, hugging him harder. She then let go and added, "I thought you'd be back sooner, uncle. I was thinking for a while there you had forgotten about me."

"There's no way I'd do that," Anton replied, "now, why don't you come with me to the Principal's Office. I'll arrange it so we can go out for the evening to make up for it."

"Sure!"

* * *

The elevator door opened and Aelita and Jeremie entered the console room. Aelita had practically dragged Jeremie out after classes ended that day, saying she wanted to spend some time alone with the blond genius. Jeremie didn't mind all that much; he just wanted to stop at his room and change for the evening, since Aelita would be DJ'ing tonight.

"Don't worry, you look fine," Aelita said as they exited the elevator, "and don't you dare sit down at the console! We haven't had any alone time in a while, and I want to spend some time with you."

"We can do that while I work at the console," Jeremie protested.

"When I say you, I mean your front, not your back as you type away," Aelita retorted, "all the things you think you need to do will still be there tomorrow, and given the severity of XANA's last attack, I don't think we have much to worry about right now."

She walked over to the couch and sat on the floor in front of it. She rummaged around in her backpack and pulled out a board and a couple of covered bowls.

"Besides, don't you want to get back at me for the last time we played?"

Jeremie smiled and joined her at the board, setting his cane off to one side. Yumi had taught Aelita how to play the Japanese game of Go over the summer, and Aelita had in turn taught him. It was a somewhat easy game to learn, but very hard to master. They both had very little idea about the strategy of the game, but had fun nonetheless. Almost anything he did with Aelita was fun, even homework.

The couple was quiet for a while, concentrating on putting the go stones on the board in such a way as to maximize their advantage. When he thought the silence was too much, Jeremie said, "Aelita, I'm sorry about Sunday."

Aelita looked up. "Odd and Ulrich put you up to that, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, but still..."

"Don't worry about it," she said, then added with a blush, "besides, I kinda liked what I saw."

Now it was Jeremie's turn to blush.

"You liked what you saw, didn't you Jeremie?" Aelita then asked, "back when the club opened?"

Jeremie blushed even redder as he answered, "yeah, I did."

That made Aelita's face light up with a smile. She dropped her go stone back in the bowl, then slid around until she was sitting next to Jeremie.

"That's good. I wonder sometimes what you really think about me..."

"I think the same about you, Aelita," Jeremie asked, "I ask myself what a wonderful girl like you sees in a nerd like me."

"I see a kind man, who pushes himself too much," Aelita replied, "but you push yourself too hard for me. I see someone I want beside me when I walk out to the mixing board tonight, tomorrow and forever. I see the only person I want to dance with, hold hands with, kiss..."

As she said that, Aelita moved closer to Jeremie and leaned in. It took half a microsecond for Jeremie to figure out what she was going to do, and acted. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. He saw her eyes widen when she did, and felt the smile on her lips as she kissed him back, taking a hand and gently holding his head, pressing him closer.

They shuffled and adjusted until Aelita had managed to snuggle herself in Jeremie's arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and pulled him into another kiss. They continued on like this for some time, their game long forgotten.

During this whole time, Franz Hopper watched his daughter and Jeremie. When they first entered, he was going to greet them until Aelita said she wanted some alone time with the boy. So he remained silent and watched. He was sorely tempted to interrupt them when they first kissed, but relented. They both were young, and there was nothing wrong with what they were doing, just as long as they didn't carry it further.

Seeing Aelita sitting in the arms of her boyfriend reminded Franz once again just how much he had taken away from her. She should be married now, if that was her choice, instead of tasting love for the first time. She should be a woman, not a little girl. And it was his fault.

This brought the scientist back to the line of thinking he had started some time ago. He needed to make sure that Aelita could have as normal a life as she could, and he couldn't give that to her. The XANA attack on Monday reminded him that he needed to be away from Lyoko to protect Aelita and the others, and he needed to search for a way to destroy the computer virus once and for all.

Franz Hopper had decided what he needed to do a long time ago; he had just been procrastinating about setting things in motion. He knew what he had to do, so he got to it. He initiated the telephone program and dialed a number.

"Mr. Rousseau? Franz Hopper here. If you would, could you make some time on Monday to see me? I have a legal matter I would like to discuss with you."

* * *

Friday evening came and Sissi Delmas had no place to go. She didn't particularly want to go to The Factory alone, but she wasn't about to go asking anyone to take her. So, she sat in her room, listening to music while reading a magazine, secretly praying that someone, hopefully Ulrich Stern, would decide to ask her out.

Her reading was interrupted by a knock on her door. Sissi got up and opened it, revealing Odd Della Robbia.

"Ah, hi, Sissi," he began, "I was wondering, would you like to go to The Factory with me tonight?"

Sissi still wished that it was Ulrich Stern asking her that question, but, truth be told, Odd wasn't that bad a second choice.

"Sure. Pick me up at 7:45."

"Great!"

* * *

Anton took Milly to dinner at the hotel restaurant where he was staying. They talked about how Milly was doing in school; how Anton's turnips were doing at home; how Milly's parents were; how Anton's wife was. Then Milly asked him what he was doing in Paris.

"Just some consulting work with the Paris police," Anton said.

"Aw, c'mon, uncle; it's gotta be more than that!" Milly said, "is it a murderer? Or, maybe a spy?"

Anton had to laugh at his niece's imagination.

"To tell you the truth, little rabbit, I'm hunting a murderer," Anton finally said, "he's also a drug dealer, and he caused a lot of problems in Siberia."

"Oooo, drug dealers?" Milly said, her eyes lighting up, "did they give you a big car and flashy jewelry when you went after him? Did you get into any gunfights?"

"No, nothing like that," Anton replied, "the local police do most of that. The man I'm looking for isn't all that glamorous. He likes hurting little girls, and he hurt several before he disappeared. Plus, the drug he makes is very bad; it damages your brain."

"But don't all drugs do that, uncle?" Milly asked, "even vodka?"

"Yes, they all do," Anton replied with a chuckle, "even vodka; but this is different. It does more damage the more you take it, and it makes you want to take more. It makes you feel so good, all you want to do is take the drug."

"But don't all drugs do that?"

"Not like this does. Milly, you are still too young to understand this, but this drug makes you feel very good. That's all it does. Other drugs may make you see things, but this doesn't. The best way I can put this is it's like being tickled all over. You like it and you laugh and you want more. You take more of the drug and it does more tickling, while it hurts your brain. Pretty soon, it hurts your brain so much, you die."

Milly made the leap in thinking. "This drug is here, in Paris, isn't it."

"Yes, it is," Anton said, "the drug is called Bliss, and it comes in nasal spray bottles. There's no label on it, but white bottles are the weakest concentration, pink stronger, red even stronger, then blue. After that, people will take the full strength of the drug, and that's when the damage is really done. It doesn't take that much full strength Bliss to kill someone. And that's why I'm here."

"Uncle Anton, could I do an interview with you about this for the Kadic News?" Milly asked, "this sounds important and I think the kids need to know."

"I was hoping to speak with Mr. Delmas next week," Anton said, "perhaps after I do, I'll be able to give you that interview."

* * *

Jeremie and Aelita were awakened by a loud cough. The couple opened their eyes, but didn't see anyone around. Then Franz Hopper spoke up.

"It's 7:45, Aelita," he said, "you had better get dressed for the evening."

"Oh!" Aelita exclaimed before jumping up and running over to her dressing table, starting to undress as she did.

"Jeremie, front and center," Franz chided.

Jeremie got up and limped over to the console and sat down.

"Well now, Mr. Belpois, just what are your intentions towards my daughter?" Franz asked in a stern tone.

Jeremie gulped and replied, "try to make her as happy as she makes me, sir."

The screen came on and Franz Hopper's smiling image displayed.

"Very good answer," he said, "just take your time and don't go too far. I'm too young to be a grandfather just yet."

Jeremie just sputtered and Franz laughed.

"Daddy, stop teasing him," Aelita called back from behind the folding partition, "we're no where near ready for _that_ yet!"

"And it seems like only yesterday that you weren't ready for kissing," Franz said, "now you practically make out right in front of me."

"Daddy!"

"Just teasing, Aelita," he replied, laughing once again.

Aelita quickly changed and checked the time.

"Almost 8 o'clock," she said, "c'mon Jeremie, let's go."

Jeremie turned and got up from the console, joining her at the ladder. Aelita had changed into a sequined white tank top and a pink skirt, and was wearing a floppy pink cap on her head, adorned with various pins and buttons. She smiled, gave his arm a quick hug and his cheek a quick kiss, then scampered up the ladder. Jeremie waited five seconds, then joined her.

As Franz watched the two leave, he thought to himself, _I'm going to miss seeing them grow closer._

* * *

Aimee shifted carefully in the bed so as not to disturb Vlad. He had been a lot rougher tonight than when she first met him, and hopefully this wasn't a bad sign of things to come.

The minute they were alone in the cottage Giuseppe had gotten for them, Vlad demanded to see the picture had gotten of Aelita. She told him it was on her memory card, and he produced a laptop and had her give the card to him. He inserted it into the slot in the computer, then pulled the image up. Vlad spent the rest of the evening looking at it, asking her how she got it, where it came from, and if there were more. When she told him that was the only picture, he got a dangerous glint in his eye, but did nothing.

When he finally bedded her, it was almost as if he were punishing her for not giving him all the pictures of Aelita had he wanted. All Aimee could do is ride it out, make the appropriate noises, and hope it didn't send him into a spiral of greater violence.

* * *

Jeremie sat in his usual spot and watched Aelita perform. He wasn't quite sure, but it seemed like she was more in tune with the crowd tonight than she had been in the past. Things were certainly jumping down on the dance floor, and the noises from the crowd indicated they were having a good time.

He leaned back against the wall and remembered earlier. Kissing her felt even better than he had imagined it, and when she had slid next to him...

He let her music carry him away as he remembered how her lips felt, how soft she was against him, how _right_ it felt having her rest her head on his chest as she snuggled in close. The only thing he had wished were different was he wished they had been sitting on the couch instead of the hard metal floor. He would have loved to slide down with her, laying beside him, holding her closer, kissing her and caressing her...

He was brought out of his fantasy by Aelita, shaking him on his shoulder. He snapped back to reality and saw her standing above him with a questioning look on her face. It was the Last Dance of the evening, and she had put on a slow song so they could dance.

He sheepishly grinned in apology, got up and let her lead him to their dance spot. The spotlight was already shining down as they stepped in and he took her in his arms.

He had taken the dancing lesson with Jim and Mrs. Hertz yesterday for just this occasion. He felt bad just standing there shuffling around like a dolt who didn't know his left foot from his right. He wanted to at least look like he was dancing with her.

As they danced, she looked at him, the surprise at his improvement apparent in her eyes. He only smiled back and held her closer, guiding her around the dance floor as he had learned. A couple of times, she gave him a quick hug, and it almost seemed like she shuddered.

Finally, the song came to an end, and the couple stopped their movement, just standing in the center of the spotlight, holding each other close. Jeremie didn't even think about it; he looked at his princess, smiling at him, then he leaned in and kissed her, almost crushing her to him as the crowd cheered.

* * *

Sissi stood by herself at the edge of the dance floor, waiting for Odd to come back. They had spent the entire time together this evening, a first for the both of them. Boys did come up and ask her to dance whenever Odd wasn't close, but she never accepted their offers. She had seen more than a few girls ask Odd out on the floor, but he evidently turned them down.

On the way over from school, they said very little to each other, beyond complimenting each other on their looks. Sissi was growing very confused over the whole situation; she loved Ulrich, not Odd. But yet, Odd had been showing her a good time for weeks now, and he was pretty nice, even when he was around the others in his gang.

She suddenly felt cold metal press against her neck.

"Here ya go," Odd said as she turned, holding a can of soda out to her.

"Thanks," she replied, then opened the can and took a sip.

"Say," Odd said next, "would you like to do something different tomorrow?"

"If that means fishing in the river, no thanks," Sissi replied.

"No, I was thinking more like a movie and something to eat," Odd said.

"You mean, like a date?"

"Well, not exactly..."

"It sounds like a date to me." She hesitated a second, then added, "four, pick me up at four o'clock. That way, we can eat, see a movie, then come here for the evening if we feel like it."

"Great!" Odd's face lit up like a lighthouse beacon.

Just then, the music changed to a slow song, and they heard Aelita call the Last Dance.

"Do you wanna..." Odd said, jerking his head in the direction of the dance floor.

Sissi looked at him for a second, then set her soda can down. He took her by the hand, and they walked out on to the dance floor, where they slow danced together for the first time.


	22. Boy Troubles

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Saturday morning, Giuseppe came by and took Aimee, saying she had to see a doctor for school. Vlad grumbled a bit, but did nothing further.

They drove about an hour to another small cottage out in the middle of nowhere. They got out, went up to the door, and Giuseppe knocked. An older man opened the door, dressed in a doctor's white lab coat, and ushered them inside.

"This the girl?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah. Name's Aimee Simon for the records," Giuseppe replied, "she needs everything: medical history, exam records, shots, the whole works."

The doctor then turned to Aimee. "Do you know if your vaccinations are up to date?"

"No," Aimee flatly said, "I won't do drugs for anyone."

"These drugs you will," Giuseppe said, "they are medicine, not the kind of drugs you're thinking about. The whole thing, doc. I also want pictures of her scarring in the records."

"Oh, we'll definitely do that," the doctor replied with a smile, then told Aimee, "get completely undressed and go in the next room and sit on the table. I'll be in momentarily."

Aimee got a strange look on her face, but complied. After discarding the last of her clothes, she disappeared into the designated room.

"She's better looking than you told me on the phone," the doctor said to Giuseppe.

"Whatever floats your boat," the gangster replied, "just make sure to finish the medical examination before you take your payment. And no marks on her, understand?"

"Perfectly."

* * *

Vlad wasn't too happy about Aimee being taken away from him, but it did give him an idea. He got in the car and drove to the nearby town. There he visited several shops and purchased what he needed. When he finished, he returned to the cottage.

He started out with some quick setting polymer clay. He rolled these out into tubes about and inch long, then set them aside. He then took some electrical wire and cut it to about twelve inches. Next, he opened a little blinking key fob and broke off the keyring. Next, he cracked the case open and removed the parts and battery. He rummaged around and managed to find a small plastic box, into which he stuffed the electronic components. He then threaded the clay beads through the electrical wire, then attached one end to the box. With that done, he turned to his next project.

He took various cleaning materials he had picked up, and carefully mixed them. After a certain amount of time, he began mixing in the rest of the polymer clay he had bought. After an hour, he took the resulting compound and formed it into blocks. Next, he cut a little off one of the blocks and formed the piece into smaller pellets. When he finally finished, he took one of the pellets outside. He found a flat rock in the yard and set the pellet on top of it. He then pulled something out of his pocket, a blasting cap. he stuck it in the pellet, stepped back a bit, then touched each of the trailing wires from the cap to the poles of a nine-volt battery in his hand. The pellet exploded with a nice loud bang.

Satisfied, Vlad turned and went back inside. He still had a little more work to do, but he would have a nice surprise for Aimee when she got back from the doctor.

* * *

Saturday seemed like the dawning of a new era to Jeremie and Aelita. Last night at the club, Jeremie had finally expressed his feelings to Aelita in no uncertain terms, and it felt wonderful. It was all they could do to restrain themselves from making out in the console room after the evening ended, but the knowledge that her father was watching tempered their actions greatly.

Still, they walked back to school together, arm in arm, holding each other close. Odd and Sissi passed the couple on the way back, and the purple clad blond let out a catcall when he saw them. Sissi just smacked him on the shoulder and said to leave them alone, but added her own congratulations with a thumbs up and a wink.

The capstone to the entire night came when Jeremie said goodnight at Aelita's dorm. Before she went inside, he kissed her, then whispered, "I love you," in her ear before leaving. Neither teen could sleep that night because they replayed the evening over and over in their minds.

Then Saturday dawned, and with it, a new wrinkle. Now that Jeremie had tasted the sweet wine of love, he wanted to taste it again. And again.

Aelita woke up, got her bath things and went to leave for the girl's showers. However, when she opened her door, there stood Jeremie, fully dressed and waiting for her; his eyes bright and a big smile on his face.

"Uh, hi, Jeremie," the surprised girl said.

"Morning," he replied, stepping up to her and kissing her on the cheek. "How are you?" he then asked.

Aelita smiled at the gesture, then walked out, resuming her course to the showers.

"Fine. You're awful perky this morning."

"I just feel good," he said, pulling her close into a hug, "you make me feel that way."

They got to the showers and Aelita stopped.

"Jeremie, why don't you go on down to breakfast," she suggested, "I'll be down in a little bit."

"It's okay," he replied, "just do what you were going to do; I'll watch."

"Jeremie, I'm about to take a shower."

With that, Jeremie suddenly realized where he was. His face got real red as he backed away and stammered, "well, in that case, I'll just wait for you at breakfast."

He then beat feet as quickly as he could for the cafeteria before he died of embarrassment.

Aelita just shook her head and chuckled as she went in to prepare for the day.

When she got to breakfast, Jeremie had recovered from the earlier incident. She sat next to him and he immediately slid his chair close in to her. Across from them, Odd and Sissi sat, watching the new couple. Ulrich was sitting on the other side of Sissi wondering what universe he had woken up in this morning.

"Did I miss something last night?" he asked.

"Yeah, Mr. and Mrs. Einstein are finally a couple," Odd said.

"And what's Sissi doing here?"

"Just having breakfast with Odd," Sissi said, "why, jealous or somethin'?"

"No, just trying to keep the players straight," he replied, then turned back to his breakfast.

In the meantime, Jeremie seemed to be doing his best to annoy Aelita. He would try to take her hand while she was eating or play footsie with her under the table, all the while looking at her with an idiotic smile. Aelita had thought he was cute, for about five minutes, but now he was starting to irritate her.

Before she could say anything, however, Sissi spoke up. "Aelita, could you help me with something? I really need it before class starts today."

"Sure!" Aelita said, almost too enthusiastically. She got up, almost knocking Jeremie over as she did, and she and Sissi left the lunchroom.

Once they got outside, Aelita said, "thanks Sissi, I owe you one. I just don't know what's gotten into Jeremie today!"

"You, silly," Sissi replied, "he's been pining after you for so long, that now he's said something, he's all mushy headed. Let him enjoy it for a little bit, then tell him to back off gently. Probably if you said something back there, you would have crushed him."

"I don't want that," Aelita agreed, "but I don't know if I can take too much of this. It's almost like Jeremie had a lobotomy or something like that."

"Probably all that blood rushing from one head to the other."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

* * *

Aimee sat in the passenger seat and fumed. After the doctor completed his examination of her, he proceeded to take "payment" for his services. Aimee just about smacked his head off until the man said that Giuseppe had told him she would be agreeable. Knowing she had been set up and there was nothing she could do, she backed down. The sleazebag had his fun, and she died just a little more inside. It was lunch time before Giuseppe came to pick her up.

"You know, I don't particularly appreciate being pimped out," Aimee said to the man, "I thought you were keeping me strictly for Vlad?"

"Circumstances change," Giuseppe said from the driver's seat, "the reason why I could even get him on such short notice was because of his particular tastes. Any reputable doctor would have called the cops the moment they laid eyes on you."

"Is this gonna happen again?" she asked next.

"If need be, yes," was the reply, "got a problem with that?"

"Yes, I do," she said, "but could you do me a favor and at least tell me before do that again?"

"No promises, kid," he said, "and tough shit if you don't like it. Tough shit if Vlad doesn't like it either. When it comes down to it, I own you both, and I'll do with you whatever I want. You don't like that? Well then I'll drop you in a hole and forget I ever saw you."

Aimee was quiet for the rest of the trip.

When they got back, Giuseppe let her out and left. She walked in to the cottage and announced herself, then flopped down in a seat in the living room. Vlad came in all smiles and greeted her, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"What's wrong, little one? You look mad," he said.

"Let's just say that the doctor used more than his hands to examine me," she replied.

Vlad's face clouded over a bit, then he smiled again. "I talk to Giuseppe. In mean time, have present for you."

With that, Vlad produced a necklace. Aimee looked at it and inwardly grimaced. It was made out of clay, and had a cheap little box with a blinking light for a pendant. It looked like something a five year old would make for their mommy.

"Put on," Vlad encouraged.

Aimee sat up and let Vlad put the necklace on her. It fit close to her neck, but not too uncomfortably. He secured the necklace to the pendant and stood back, beaming.

"You like?" he asked expectantly.

"Yeah, it's nice," she replied, not wanting to tick him off.

"I make myself," he said, "it not look greatest, but made from heart. Wear it always, don't take off."

"Won't this melt or dissolve if I get it wet?" Aimee asked.

"No, no, it okay. You keep on, otherwise I get heartbroken."

"Okay, I'll keep it on," she said.

Actually, it did help a little. Vlad must have been sorry after the way he treated her last night, and he did what he could to try and make it up to her. It really wasn't much, she thought, but after this morning, it was something.

As Vlad looked at the girl, he thought to himself, _now for part two._

* * *

Classes were aggravating for Aelita, because Jeremie kept up his love struck loonyness all morning. After the last class, she thought that she would have to deck him in order to get him to back off, when salvation came from a rather unusual source.

"Belpois! Get over here!" Jim Moralés' voice boomed out.

Jeremie, startled by having his name bellowed, told Aelita goodbye and went over to the gym teacher. When he got there, Jim just looked at him a moment, then said, "come with me."

Teacher and student walked outside, and then out into the park. Once they entered the trees, Jim said, "I understand that you and Miss Stones are officially an item now."

"What gives you that idea?" Jeremie replied.

"I've heard it from Rosa, Mr. Roullier, and just about all of your teachers that you've been clamped on to her all morning," Jim replied with a chuckle, "and I've heard just about all the kids talking about it walking over here."

Jeremie stopped walking and lowered his head so Jim couldn't see the embarrassment on his face.

"I screwed up, didn't I?" he said, "she must think I'm an idiot."

"I don't know about what she may think," Jim said, "and you haven't quite screwed up yet; but it's close. Son, you just can't go around mooning all over her like you have. That just isn't you. I'm not saying you have to be totally aloof, but have a little backbone, sheesh! You're acting like she's taking pity on you rather than liking you."

"But, she's not that way..."

"I know that. And you aren't normally the way you're acting. Go back to that, Belpois. That's what she likes, not the happy puppy dog. Be yourself."

Jeremie stood there a moment, the said, "okay, you're right. I don't know what got into me."

"It's your first time, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, don't worry about it too much. We all get kinda stupid the first time around."

"Including you, Jim?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

* * *

After classes let out for the day, Odd Della Robbia went into his "Big Date" routine, which was a polite way of saying he went totally nuts getting ready to go out with Sissi.

"Ulrich, what do you think I should wear tonight?" he asked his roommate.

Ulrich, sitting on his bed and wishing Yumi didn't have to spend the day watching her brother again, replied, "how about purple?"

Odd turned and glared at the brown haired boy. "Everything I've got is purple!" he shouted, "hey, maybe this!"

Odd triumphantly pulled out a suit, or more precisely, a tuxedo. It, like everything else he owned, was purple, and it had a pink ruffled shirt to go with it.

"Whadya think?"

"Odd, you know I'm your friend; and I really am pulling for you to hit it off with Sissi, so if you don't put that back in your closet and find something else, I'm going to have to hurt you."

"Yeah, you're right," Odd said as he put it back, "I'll save this for the prom."

Odd finally managed to find something to wear, his everyday attire, and met Sissi at her door precisely at four o'clock. She had dressed casually in a top and slacks, going on the assumption that they would be walking around a lot this evening. They both nodded at each other's appearance and set out for dinner.

* * *

Jeremie didn't see Aelita until that evening. He wasn't totally sure, but he thought the pink haired girl might be avoiding him. Given the way he acted this morning, he would not have been surprised if that were so.

He cleaned himself up and limped his way over to the factory. Kids were starting to stream in for the evening's entertainment, so he fell into line and showed his access card to the bouncer at the door. Once inside, he made his way down to the factory floor, where he saw Simon Groe standing at the refreshment bar, talking to Henri Bass.

"Hi, Simon!" the boy said as he walked up. Both Simon and Henri returned the greeting, then Jeremie said, "Aelita said you were gone this week. How did it go?"

"Good," Simon replied, "as a matter of fact, Henri is trying to talk me into having the boys play tonight, but I'm still saying no way."

"And how have you been Jeremie," Mr. Bass asked.

"Okay," he replied, "have either of you seen Aelita?"

"She and Sophie went down to her room," Simon said, indicating the elevator, "they didn't say anything about keeping anyone out, so head on down."

Jeremie smiled and said thanks, then went over to the elevator. Anitoly, who was close by, pushed the call button for the genius, then made sure no one else got in with him.

When he got down to the console room and the door opened, Jeremie saw Aelita and Sophie sitting over by Aelita's dressing table, talking. Fortunately, Aelita was dressed for the evening, so he didn't make a scene. Sophie turned and greeted the newcomer, then turned back to Aelita, said something about tracking something or someone down, then left, but not before giving Aelita a peck on the forehead. Jeremie walked into the room as the woman walked out. The elevator door closed and the couple was alone.

"Uh, hi," Jeremie said.

"Hi," Aelita replied.

There was an awkward silence, then Jeremie said, "look, I'll just come out and say it. I was an idiot this morning and I know it. It's just after last night, I wanted to be close to you like that again and..."

"Stop it right there, Jeremie," Aelita said, "I know and I forgive you. It's just that you were acting so stupid it was starting to creep me out."

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

Aelita got out of her chair and walked over to her boyfriend.

"It's not that I don't want you to do it any more," she said, putting her arms around her and pulling him close, "just don't be so goofy around everybody else."

She shut him up with a kiss before he could say anything else.


	23. The Price Of Bliss

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Saturday afternoon, Odd and Sissi left Kadic and went to a small Italian restaurant close by. Once they were seated, they both ordered pasta.

"I'm kinda surprised," Sissi said after the waiter left, "I figured we were getting pizza."

"You could have if you wanted to," Odd replied, "they do have good pizza here; but the Chicken Parmesan is fantastic. Oh, and the lasagna is good too, so don't worry about that."

"I wasn't," she replied, "I've eaten here before. So, you think Jeremie has totally lost his mind?"

"Nah, he'll figure it out," Odd replied, "I saw Jim taking him for a walk after class today, so I figure he'll straighten Jer out."

"I would have never thought that Jim would be all that good with relationships," the girl mused.

"Well, even a blind pig finds a truffle sometimes," Odd replied.

* * *

Jim Moralés kicked back in his apartment and picked up the latest copy of _Sumo Weekly._ It had just come in the mail today, and he was anxious to dig into it. It wasn't like he had a social life or anything.

He had just turned to the Editor's Commentary when his cell phone rang. He grumbled as he fished around for the device, grunting in curiosity when he saw the Caller ID was Suzanne Hertz. He opened the phone and answered.

"Hello, Jim Moralés."

There was silence for a second, then came what Jim thought was a sob.

"Jim, it's Suzanne. Were you serious the other day?"

"About what, Suzanne?"

"About listening if I needed to talk."

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"Not on the phone. Could you come over? I'm in trouble and I need to talk to someone."

* * *

Their pasta arrived, and Sissi and Odd ate in relative silence. For once, Odd wasn't shoveling his food in like he was starving, much to Sissi's surprise.

"I'm impressed," she said, "you do have better table manners than a goat sometimes."

Odd finished his bite and replied, "one of the things I learned at home was to savor good food, and this is some of the best I've had in a long time."

"And what about the school's food?"

"Don't get me wrong; Rosa does a great job with what she's given. It's edible, and I've had worse; but compared to this it's horrible. That's half the reason why I shovel it down at school. It's good enough to eat, but not good enough to savor."

* * *

Jim told Suzanne that he would be over in around an hour. He quickly changed, borrowed Mr. Delmas' car, and made his way over to Suzanne's apartment. He quickly found a parking spot on the street and entered her building.

Jim had never been to Suzanne's home before; from what he knew, she lived a quiet life with few visitors. It was quite a shock when he learned she had a boyfriend some time back. Come to think about it, she hasn't said anything about him in a while...

The gym teacher got to Suzanne's door and knocked. After a few seconds of silence, Jim knocked again. This time, he heard a voice telling him to come in. He tried the doorknob and found it unlocked, so he opened the door and walked inside.

Suzanne Hertz's apartment was just about what Jim had expected: a cozy little place, decorated nicely, but a little dated. It looked like most of the time, not a stitch was out of place, just like Suzanne. Unfortunately, tonight, quite a lot seemed out of place.

There were books and papers all over the living room, and empty glasses on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Jim would have expected coasters under the glasses, but there were none.

"I'm in the kitchen, Jim," Suzanne's voice called from further in.

He walked on back to where she was. Looking about, he saw that her bedroom was a mess, and things were strewn about the bathroom, totally unlike what he expected from Suzanne. He finally reached the kitchen and met a different person.

Suzanne was sitting at her kitchen table, looking like she hadn't slept in days. Her hair was unkempt, and she was wearing a robe, which was open enough for Jim to see she wasn't wearing anything under it. She wasn't wearing her glasses, and her eyes looked like she had been crying for quite a while. On the table in front of her was an empty glass and several bottles of what looked like eye drops or nasal spray.

Jim stood at the entrance to the kitchen and wondered if he should go in. Suzanne turned her head when he entered, got a look of despair and near shame on her face.

"I know; I haven't quite been myself lately," she said by way of explanation. She then nodded to an empty chair. Jim came over and sat down.

"What happened here?" he began, "did someone attack you?"

"No," Suzanne replied, "this is all my doing. Look, just don't talk for a while, okay? I don't know if I can bring myself to do this at all, and if you interrupt I may not be able to."

* * *

After dinner, Odd and Sissi left the restaurant and went to a newsstand, where Odd bought a paper. They discarded most of it, but kept the Entertainment Section. They opened it up and found the movie listings.

"What would you like to see?" Odd asked.

"Well, not those horror films you go in for," Sissi replied immediately. She scanned down the page, but didn't see anything that interested her. "Anything here you like?" she asked.

"Other than the horror flicks, no," Odd said. Odd then looked down the page and saw something. "Aw, crap!" he exclaimed.

"What?"

Sissi glanced down the page, trying to find what Odd was upset about. There, at the bottom, was a movie title that brought back a memory.

"Maybe we should go see this one," Sissi said.

"No, no!" Odd replied, "that probably wouldn't be a good idea!"

At the bottom of the page, playing a one of the more seedier theaters in the city, was a movie called _The Mighty Mahou Hentai Rangers._

* * *

"Jim, I wasn't sick yesterday," Suzanne began, "after what happened to us Thursday night, I couldn't face either you or the students."

"Suzanne, no one knows..."

"Don't talk!" she snapped, "that's not the reason why I didn't show up yesterday. Jim, I lost control on Thursday, and I don't just mean with you. I lost it well before I went in the girl's locker room."

Suzanne then proceeded to tell Jim about Bliss; how she started it, how it made her feel, what she started doing. While she didn't go into extreme detail, what she did say was more than enough to raise Jim's eyebrows.

"So, you're saying that this stuff makes you do that?" he asked incredulously.

"Not exactly," she replied, "it just makes everything feel so good, your mind just quickly gravitates towards sex."

"Well, I guess whatever floats your boat," Jim said.

"Jim, there's more," Suzanne said, "I've been taking it at work. I took a hit before I came to the gym Thursday afternoon. I thought I could control myself, but when Belpois put his hand on my hip, I almost raped him."

"What?"

"The moment Jeremie touched my hip, all I could think of was pushing his face between my legs. I almost broke down again while we were dancing around, so when we stopped, I left. Then you found me and..."

"Yeah, I get the picture," Jim said, "what happened next?"

"I took Friday off. I'm not one to lose control like that, ever. I couldn't go back and face those students and run the risk of slipping again. So I stayed home yesterday and tried to get control back. But I failed, Jim; I failed."

With that, Suzanne dropped her head into folded arms and started sobbing into the table.

"I tried; I did! I got all of the bottles of Bliss and was going to dump them down the sink, but I couldn't! Look at them! I didn't even realize I had this much until I rounded them all up! I tried to get rid of them, but I couldn't. I wound up using them, all of them. Then, I went out and got this."

Suzanne raised back up and fished in the pocket of her robe, producing another bottle, this one light blue.

"My connection told me that this was the most powerful version of the drug, called Ultimate Bliss. The only way to get a more powerful concentration is to take the drug undiluted. Jim, I've been sitting here since I got back this afternoon trying not to take it. I called you because I can't do this alone anymore. If I take this, I won't stop. All I'll do is take Bliss and do all that again! Help me, Jim! Take this away from me and help me!"

* * *

Sissi insisted, so she and Odd made the trek to see _The Mighty Mahou Hentai Rangers_. Night had fallen by now, and the signs of the various clubs were alight, telling the passers by what to expect inside the seedy buildings.

Women and men, dressed provocatively, were standing just outside every dark alleyway, enticing the pedestrians to come over and sample their wares. More than a few offered to give the teenagers an education they would never forget.

"Odd, I don't think we should be down here," Sissi said, pulling closer to the purple clad boy.

"I tried to warn you," Odd replied, "I found out the hard way just what hentai meant."

They finally got to the theater, and if there was any doubt in Sissi's mind about what Odd was trying to tell her, the marquee dispelled them. There, in front of God and everyone, were pictures of costumed figures entwined in positions that looked physically impossible. The women participating weren't wearing masks like the men were, and their faces were drawn up in what looked like ecstasy at what was going on.

The barker for the show noticed the teenagers gawking and walked over.

"You kids move along now! You're too young for this show!" he said.

As Odd and Sissi moved off, the barker added, "but come back in a couple of years for an audition! You would make a great pair on stage!"

* * *

Jim sat there and looked at Suzanne. She was broken, even more so than Thursday night after the incident in the locker room. As he watched, she began to unconsciously bring the bottle to her nose, automatically opening it so she could inhale. He quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping the bottle's trek to her nose. She tensed when he did this, fighting him until she realized what she was doing. She dropped the bottle to the table and Jim picked it up. He got up and went over to her sink.

"Suzanne, I can do this for you," he said," and I can help you out as much as I can, but you are going to have to do the hardest part."

With that, Jim opened the bottle and poured it down the sink. Suzanne choked back a shriek as he did. When it was empty, Jim dropped the bottle in the sink.

"There's nothing stopping you from going out and getting another bottle of this stuff," he said as he turned to face her, "the question is: are you going to? While you were talking to me, you were getting ready do more of that crap, and I don't even think you realized it until I stopped you. You need help way beyond what I can give you, other than a shoulder to lean on."

He then walked over to her, gently taking her and bringing he to her feet. He adjusted her robe to cover her up and added, "I know someplace that might be able to help. They'll help you get past this, if you let them. Do you trust me?"

Suzanne looked up into Jim's face, then nodded yes.

Together, they went to her telephone, where Jim dialed the number of a drug counseling center. He spoke a moment with the person who answered, then gave the phone to Suzanne.

"H-hello? My name is Suzanne, and I need help..."

* * *

Odd thought that they had just about made it out with their sanity intact when a man's voice called to them from an alley.

"Hey, you two looking for something special?" he asked.

Against their better judgment, Odd and Sissi stopped.

"That's what I thought," the man said as he stepped from the shadows. He was about average height, with dark greasy hair, and he was wearing sunglasses, even though it was night.

"It's unusual to see kids in this part of town who aren't part of the scene," he said next, "about the only time you see them is if they're lost, or they're looking for something special."

He then opened up his coat and pulled out something, what looked like a bottle of nasal spray.

"You looking for something to spice up your love life? Make that first time extra special? Or maybe you need a little somethin' somethin' to grease the wheels a bit? Well, I've got what you're looking for right here: Bliss. One snort of this and you won't be able to keep your hands off each other. One snort and you'll be in seventh heaven for hours on end. You take this, and fucking will never be the same! And the best part is, the more you take, the better it gets!"

"Ah, no; not interested," Odd said, "we aren't that way."

"One snort of this and you will be," the man said, "tell you what; I'll give you both a shot right here, right now; for free. You can feel for yourselves what Bliss is like. I even have this convenient alley here so you can explore the possibilities with out being interrupted. If you like it, I'll sell you this bottle for only ten euros. Whatdya say?"

"No, thanks!" Odd shouted as he grabbed Sissi's hand and ran for it.

* * *

Suzanne spoke with the counselor for some time, then she handed the phone back to Jim. The person on the other end told Jim to bring her to a facility in the city where they would keep her for a few days. While she was there, they would check her out and help her to ride out the initial separation from the drug. It would be a few days before she would be able to return home and try and resume her normal life. The woman also said they would like to talk to Jim, to tell him what he could do to help in her recovery. Jim immediately agreed and hung up. He helped Suzanne gather a few things, then drove her down to the facility, where she checked in.

Jim and someone from the facility then went back to Suzanne's apartment and thoroughly searched it, coming up with several more bottles of Bliss that Suzanne hadn't mentioned. The man explained that she probably had bottles stashed at the school, and Jim should locate them and dispose of them as soon as possible, especially since a student could accidentally stumble across one and get into trouble. Jim agreed and they parted.

* * *

Odd and Sissi fairly well ran all the way back to Kadic. When they got to the gate they were almost totally exhausted. They went inside and collapsed on the first bench they came across.

"I don't believe that guy!" Sissi exclaimed, "he basically told us we could go back in that alley and..."

"Yeah, I know," Odd said, "not exactly a romantic way to end the evening, is it. Like I said, I found out what hentai was the hard way. Yumi almost tore stripes off my back educating me."

Sissi laughed at that, imagining the scene.

"Have you ever heard of Bliss?" she then asked.

"No," Odd replied, "it must be something new."

"Well, I hope it never makes it to Kadic," she said, "that would be awful, seeing all those people doing all that in the open!"

"Well, now what?" Odd asked, "do you want to go on over to The Factory?"

"No," she replied, "I've had enough excitement for one night."

They got up, and Odd escorted her back to her dorm room. Before she went in for the night, she turned to Odd and said, "dinner was nice; I really enjoyed myself. I'm sorry I led you down to that place."

She hesitated a moment, then leaned out and kissed Odd on the lips. He was shocked for a moment, but then leaned in. That led to them wrapping their arms around each other and pulling each other close. After a few moments, they separated and pulled back.

"And he said a drug could make this better? I don't think so," Sissi said with a smile as she closed her dorm room door.


	24. In Your Best Interest

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

On Monday morning, the talk of the school was Sissi Delmas and Odd Della Robbia. She sat with Odd at breakfast this morning, watching him wolf down his breakfast. Across from the new couple, Jeremie and Aelita watched bewildered, while Ulrich sat on the other side of Sissi and wondered just what the heck was going on.

Aimee Simon sat next to Jeremie as he was evaluating this new structure of the universe, carefully fiddling with her new necklace, and pondering her new problem with Vlad.

_Sunday morning, Vlad took her outside, saying he had something to show her._

"_Watch this," he said with a grin._

_He took out what looked like a clay bead, then pushed something with wires in it. He walked over to a flat rock, set the bead down, then stepped back, unraveling a wire as he did. When he got to the end of the wire, he pulled something out of his pocket and attached it to the wire. As soon as he did, there was a loud bang as the bead on the rock exploded._

"_What you think?" Vlad asked her, beaming._

"_That's great," was all she could say._

"_'Nother thing I learn in Siberia," Vlad continued, "also learn electronics. Can have lots of fun with chemicals and electricity."_

"_So you can make your own fireworks," Aimee said, "so what?"_

"_Oh, that good for so many things!" Vlad exclaimed, "you never know when you need to blow something up. Or you need something to get someone to do something for you."_

_Aimee thought about that for a second, then reached up to the necklace he gave her yesterday._

"_Don't do that," Vlad said, "otherwise, boom! You lose head."_

_Aimee immediately dropped her hand._

"_I make that so you help me out," Vlad said next, "bring pink haired girl to me."_

"_Aelita? Why?"_

"_'Cause I want her. I like what I saw when you danced. I want her to dance for me; I want her to be nice to me."_

"_And where does that leave me?"_

"_I want you both. I want feel both of you next to me. You bring her to me and I take necklace off. You don't do by Wednesday, you lose head. You tell anyone, I blow up. You try take off, boom!"_

* * *

The landlord grumbled as he made his way upstairs to the apartment. Tenant 306 hadn't been seen in days, and his employer had called asking about him. The landlord complained that it wasn't his fault Mr. Del Toro wasn't at work, but agreed to check in on the man.

He got to apartment 306 and knocked loudly on the door.

"Mr. Del Toro! Open up! This is the landlord!"

Silence.

The landlord knocked twice more, then took his master key and opened the door. He looked about from the entrance, then called out, telling the occupants he was coming in.

The apartment looked normal, but there was a smell coming from somewhere. The landlord got a bad feeling as he made his way in. The smell was worse at the bedroom. Fearing what he would find, the landlord looked in.

On the bed, Pedro Del Toro lay dead. Judging by the smell, he died quite some time ago. The landlord turned and quickly left the apartment before he was overcome by the stench. He called Pedro's employer and informed them that Mr. Del Toro would not be coming in for the rest of his life, then called the police.

* * *

Is wasn't until after class that Aimee was able to even attempt to get Aelita to come with her. The two were in their dorm, doing their homework. Aelita had just finished tutoring her roommate in French and was turning to her own classwork when Aimee spoke up.

"Say, Aelita?" she started.

"What?" Aelita replied

"I know we've only known each other for a week, but could I ask a favor?" Aimee next asked, "it's... well, it's my boyfriend."

"I'm not exactly the one to come to about relationships," Aelita said with a slight laugh, "if you've got a boyfriend, maybe I should be asking you for advice."

"It's not like that," Aimee said, "you see, he's a fan of yours. Been one ever since your first performance a few months back. He'd really like to meet you."

"I don't know, Aimee," Aelita said, "I'm not all that big a name; I don't see why he would be so excited to meet me."

"He thinks you're going to be as big as, if not bigger than, the SubDigitals," Aimee said, "he wants to meet you now before you get so famous that he'll never have the opportunity."

"Let me think about it," Aelita finally said.

Just then, Aelita's cell phone rang. She answered it and spoke for a couple of seconds. When she finished the call, she turned her attention back to Aimee and said, "I've gotta run. My father wants to meet me for some reason."

With that, Aelita pulled herself together and left. Once she had gone, Aimee relaxed and thought, _that went better than I thought it would. Maybe I'll live to see the end of the week after all._

* * *

Sophie thought it odd that Franz Stones wanted to meet her and Simon here at The Factory. Aelita's father had called this morning and set up the meeting, to discuss them taking guardianship of Aelita.

She and Simon had talked about Franz's proposal on and off since he first made it, and other than needing to know why it was necessary, were all for the idea.

They said hello to Anitoly, who was working today, then went to the elevator.

"Something going on?" the bouncer asked.

"We're supposed to meet with Aelita's father here," Simon said, "down there."

"Must already be here then," Anitoly said with a shrug.

When they got down to Aelita's dressing room, Franz Stones was waiting for them. He was sitting in the large seat in the center of the room, and he looked like he was sitting on his throne.

"Ah! I'm glad you came," he said in greeting, "I'll have to admit, I was a little disconcerted when all this furniture got moved down here, but now I find it quite convenient. Please, have a seat."

The couple went over to the sofa and sat down.

"When we spoke before, you wanted to know why it was necessary for me to even consider giving custody of Aelita to someone else. The truth is, Aelita and I aren't exactly who we say we are."

"Then who are you?" Simon asked.

"My name is Waldo Franz Schaeffer," Franz said, "at one time, I was a scientist working for a top secret government project. However, something happened and I was forced to flee for my life, taking Aelita with me. We were on the run for some time, living the best we could, when Aelita had an accident. We got separated and she injured her head and developed amnesia. Somehow, she managed to set herself up as a student at Kadic Academy, where you met her."

"Because she had no memory of me," Franz continued, "I stayed away from her, watching from the shadows. Then, a few months back, she regained her memories and started actively looking for me. I made contact with her and re-entered her life."

"Sounds like everything is okay now," Simon said, "why separate again?"

"Because, the trouble that has been looking for me has attached itself to her. Some people corrupted the project I was working on, and have been trying to kill me for years. Recently, they've started hunting Aelita, as a way to get to me. That business back in London a couple of months ago was related to that."

"You're somehow mixed up with terrorists?" Sophie asked.

"No, but terrorists want me out of the way," Franz replied, "anyway, I'm afraid that they will find Aelita and me here, so I'm going to lead them away from her. But I can't leave her by herself; she needs someone to look after her, to teach her the things I can't. She needs a woman in her life, Sophie."

"What about her mother?"

"Gone. Taken because of me. I'm not even sure if she's dead or alive. I don't want the same thing to happen to Aelita."

Everyone was silent for a moment, then Simon said, "Franz, I'm not entirely sure you're telling us everything here; but I don't want anything to happen to Aelita. If you want us to watch out for her, we will."

"Thank you," Franz said, "I've taken the liberty of having documents drawn up to that effect. We can meet tomorrow at Mr. Rousseau's office and sign them."

* * *

Rene Mitchellete and Anton Solovieff stood in Pedro Del Toro's apartment as the coroner took the late Mr. Del Toro away. All around them, detectives were taking pictures and measurements. One officer was taking empty nasal spray bottles and bagging them in evidence bags.

"I'd say he used Bliss every now and then," Mitchellete deadpanned, earning a snort from the Russian.

"And, evidently, he graduated to using undiluted Bliss," Anton replied, pointing to the bottle and syringe laying on the nightstand by the bed.

"You think he did it all in one shot?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I wouldn't matter either way. At this level, the damage is severe and cumulative."

"So, lover boy takes two or three hits and dies a happy man."

"Yes."

"Well," Mitchellete said, "he didn't leave much for us to go on."

The French detective walked over to a dresser and picked up something, pocket calendar. He paged through it, stopping on the page a couple of weeks back.

"Say, Anton; didn't you say you had a niece going to school around here?"

"Yes, Kadic Academy. Why?"

"Look at this."

Anton walked over and took the booklet from Mitchellete. Reading, he saw an entry: _Pick up Suzanne Kadic._

"Think he had a relative in that school?" mused the Frenchman.

"More likely a girlfriend," Anton replied, "one of the staff, I'll wager."

"You never can tell..."

"This does not look like the apartment of a pedophile," Anton replied, "but I will allow that it could be a student. Maybe we should pay Kadic a visit. I was intending to speak with the principal about Bliss anyway, and this gives me more of a reason to do so."

* * *

Aelita reached the main floor of the factory and walked to the elevator. Her father wanted to meet her in the console room for some reason, and to come alone. The girl thought that very unusual; the last time she did this, it was a trap XANA had laid for her.

Anitoly was working today, he smiled and called a greeting to Aelita as she waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Sophie and Simon already there," he mentioned.

_Sophie and Simon?_ Aelita thought to herself.

The elevator arrived before the girl could ask the Russian anything else. After a short ride, the door opened, and sure enough, Sophie and Simon were sitting on the couch waiting for her. Her father was sitting in the console chair, looking at the elevator door.

"What's going on, daddy?" Aelita asked.

"Aelita," Franz said, "you remember some time ago I told you I would have to leave soon? I'm afraid that time is at hand. This time, I don't want to leave you alone, with no one to watch over you. Some time ago, I asked Sophie and Simon if they would be your legal guardians."

"What?"

"Your legal guardians," Franz repeated, "I asked them to take care of you while I'm gone, and they have accepted."

"But you'll be able to come back when you need to," Aelita said, "hasn't the last few months proved that? Do you even need to go now?"

"Aelita, you know the reason why I have to go..."

"You're not coming back, are you!" Aelita shouted, "you're going to leave me and disappear for good this time! Why?!"

Franz got up from the console and took a step toward his daughter. trying to ease her fears, but she bolted up the ladder that led back into the factory, to her dance venue.

"I take it you haven't discussed this with her yet," Sophie said, "I can't believe how dense you can be, Franz."

With that, Sophie called up the elevator and went after Aelita.

"She may have run to a house on the other side of the park," Franz called out, "it's called the Hermitage."

* * *

Anton and Detective Mitchellete arrived at Kadic Academy and made their way to the Administration Building. They went to the principal's office and asked to see him. His secretary make a quick call, then said to go on in.

"Mr. Solovieff, good to see you again," Principal Delmas said in greeting, "and you are?"

"Detective Mitchellete, Narcotics Division," Mitchellete replied.

"Unfortunately, this is not a social call," Anton said, "do you know someone here named Suzanne? We need to speak with her if at all possible."

"Suzanne Hertz?" replied Mr. Delmas, "yes, she is a teacher here. She's been ill the last few days, so she isn't here."

"Is there any way we can get in touch with her?" Mitchellete asked, "it's important."

Mr. Delmas rummaged around a moment, then came up with Suzanne's contact information.

"This is what you need," he said, "also, my gym instructor, Mr. Moralés has been in contact with her; he might be able to tell you more."

"May we speak with him please?" Anton asked.

"Of course," was the reply, "he's over at the gymnasium."

With that, the two police men got up to leave.

"Mr. Delmas," Anton said before he left, "would it be possible to address your staff tomorrow? I would have liked to do it today, but with this investigation, I must postpone it."

"Of course," the principal replied, "about what do you wish to talk about?"

"Bliss," was the response, "a new drug that has hit the streets. It's the reason why I'm in Paris, and it's the reason why I need to speak to Ms. Hertz."

* * *

Aelita burst from the entrance to the Pink Paradise and bolted up the steps leaving the factory. Anitoly looked up from what he was doing when she ran out, but did nothing further. A minute later, Sophie appeared in the elevator. The Russian just nodded in the direction of the entrance before going back to his work. Sophie sighed before she took off after Aelita at a trot.

Aelita ran out of the factory and through the park, to the only place she could think of. The trees blurred by as she ran, and she almost broke the gate that led to the Hermitage when she got there. She ran inside and upstairs to what was once her bedroom.

When she got to her room, she collapsed in front of the bed, sobbing. She pulled herself into a little ball and wept, not understanding why her father suddenly wanted to abandon her.

Sophie had followed the girl to the house on the other side of the park, and saw her run inside. She approached the house and entered, then heard sounds coming from upstairs. She went up and went down to the room at the end of the hall, and saw Aelita crying on the floor.

Sophie stood there a moment in the doorway, trying to come up with something to say. Coming up with nothing, the woman walked into the room and scooped Aelita up in her arms. The girl struggled and fought a moment before throwing her arms around the woman and sobbing. Sophie just held Aelita, gently rocking back and forth, telling her everything would be okay.

* * *

Simon and Franz left a couple of minutes after Sophie took off after Aelita; Simon saying it was probably best to let Sophie catch up to Aelita and calm her down before they made their appearance.

As they walked, the SubDigitals sound man asked, "what's so special about this house she ran to?"

"It was where we lived before the troubles started," Franz replied, "Aelita still has strong memories of the place."

"Even with amnesia?"

"Yes, even with amnesia."

They reached the Hermitage and went inside. They heard sounds coming from upstairs, and Franz started to climb up. When he noticed that Simon wasn't following, he turned with a questioning look on his face.

"I think the two of you need to talk a moment," he said, "I'll wait down here. Once you're done, we'll all talk together."

Franz nodded and went on up.

* * *

Jim Moralés watched closely as Yumi Ishiyama sparred with Sissi Delmas. Even though he had heard through the grapevine that Sissi had taken up with Odd Della Robbia, he knew that there still was little love lost between the two girls. Yumi could overwhelm the principal's daughter at will, and he needed to make sure things didn't get out of hand.

While Jim was watching Yumi and Sissi, Ulrich Stern was watching Tamiya Diop and Johnny spar. Both kids were next to inept and needed close supervision on their form and control. Twice, Tamiya had almost decked the boy because she didn't have enough control to pull her punch. Ulrich managed to grab her before she could connect, then instructed both combatants on the necessity of focus and control.

Yumi's brother Hiroki, in the meantime, had the dubious honor of sparring with his crush, Milly Solovieff. Both were obviously beginners, but Hiroki was further along with the fundamentals of Pencak Selat, probably from trying to keep his sister from killing him. With Milly, the boy was being a little too tentative, which allowed her to sweep his legs out from under him.

"Whoa! Everyone stop!" the gym teacher hollered. He quickly ran over to the boy, who was sitting up and rubbing his head with an embarrassed grin on his face. Milly, still standing, was looking down at him with a smile.

"Get up and shake it off, Ishiyama," Jim told the boy, "and next time, keep your mind on what you're doing."

Milly extended her hand and helped the boy up. When he was standing, she pulled him close and whispered, "keep daydreaming and I'll do it again."

Jim was just about to restart the sparring when the gymnasium door opened and two men walked in. When Milly saw the newcomers, she shouted, "Uncle Anton!" and ran over to one of them, almost knocking him over with her hug. The big man returned the embrace, then pulled her off him, telling her he needed to talk to Jim.

"Mr. Moralés, I assume," the other man said as he walked up, "I'm Detective Mitchellete, Paris Narcotics Division. Could we speak to you for a moment?"

By this time, Anton had joined Mitchelette. "It is about someone who attends this school," he said, "we were told you knew where she is at."

"Who?" Jim asked as all eyes were upon him.

"Suzanne Hertz."

Jim looked at the two police officers a moment, then shouted, "okay class, dismissed!"

The kids just stood there, waiting for the conversation to continue, so Jim added, "go on, get moving! This is none of your business!"

With that, the kids turned and left, with Yumi Ishiyama and Ulrich Stern being the last to leave.

"Mr. Moralés," Mitchellete said, "we need to talk with Ms. Hertz about a case we're currently investigating. I can tell you she is not under suspicion of wrong doing, but she may have information that will help us. Could you please tell us where she is now?"

"She's at St. Maria's," he said.

Mitchellete nodded in recognition, then told Solovieff, "St. Maria's Drug Rehabilitation Center. When was she admitted, Mr. Moralés?"

"Saturday night. She called me early in the evening and told me about her problem. St. Maria's was the only place I could think of that could give her any help, so I had her call them. She checked herself in, and she's still there."

"I take it Mr. Delmas doesn't know about this?" Anton asked.

"No, and please don't tell him," Jim replied, "I don't know how he would react."

"We certainly will not say anything," Mitchellete assured the man, "but these things do have a way of coming out; I hope the both of you realize that."

"My only concern was helping a friend," Jim retorted, "I figured that Jean-Pierre would have to know eventually, but I want to give Suzanne the chance to pull herself together before she has to face him. It won't help if she's under police suspicion."

"She is not under suspicion in any way," Mitchelette said, "but someone close to her has been involved in this, which is why we need to speak to her."

"Look, just take it easy on her," Jim said, "she's going through a lot."

"We will," Anton said, "but, unfortunately, we may have to add to her burden."

* * *

Franz made his way to Aelita's room. He reached the doorway and saw Sophie holding his daughter as she sobbed, rocking her back and forth, telling the girl everything would be okay. The scene drove yet another dagger into his heart.

Sophie saw him standing there, and whispered something in Aelita's ear. She looked up and saw him, then turned away. Sophie let go of her, then got up. She walked out, leaving father and daughter alone.

Franz went over and sat on the remnants of Aelita's bed.

"I remember when we first decorated this room," he told her, "you were so excited to have a room of your own again. You looked out that window and told me that you wanted your pony to live just there, so you could always see her."

"I never got that pony," Aelita said.

"No, you didn't," was the reply, "you still wanted to live in our cabin in the mountains; you wanted your mother back, and you didn't get any of that. And it's all my fault."

"And now, I won't get you," she said, still looking out the window, "I won't have a father for real this time."

"Aelita, I told you in the beginning I couldn't stay," Franz said, "I've probably stayed too long as it is. It's only by a miracle that XANA has been so quiet."

"Do you really have to go, daddy?" Aelita asked, "or am I that much of a burden?"

"You have never been a burden," Franz said , "if I could, I would stay here forever, even if it meant staying in virtual form. But we both know that it isn't possible. XANA will be back, and he will try to destroy or enslave us all. Of all of the mistakes I've made in my life, that is the one I must correct."

"Couldn't I come with you?" she asked next, turning to face him.

"And give up your life here?" he asked, "tell me truthfully; could you really leave Jeremie behind? Could you go back to a virtual existence after being in the real world for so long?"

Aelita looked like she was about to say something, but then dropped her head and shook it.

"I didn't think so," Franz said, "and I'm glad you can't. Aelita, I swear that I will be back. I'll get the information Jeremie needs and help him put together something to destroy XANA once and for all. But if something happens to me, I want to know that you will be taken care of, and not left alone. Simon and Sophie can give you that, even more so than Jeremie and your friends."

Aelita nodded. She knew her father was right.

"Daddy, hold me one more time before you go," was all she said.

Franz got up and went over to his daughter. He wrapped his quantum energy arms around her and pulled her close, then did something he had never done before. He allowed the virtual image of himself to collapse, forming a smoky shell around her. All around her, Aelita could feel his presence, holding her close, radiating his love to her. She stood there, with her arms stretched out, as the phantom embraced her.

After a while, Franz and Aelita went downstairs and joined Simon and Sophie. Aelita told them she was alright now, and apologized for her outburst earlier. The group talked a while longer, discussing plans and what would be happening going forward. It was late evening before they left; Simon and Sophie returning to their apartment; Franz and Aelita walking through the park back to Kadic. Before they parted, Aelita gave her father a last hug and kiss, etching the feel of his quantum energy form tingling on her skin in her mind. She finally broke the embrace, turned and ran back to school.

Waldo Franz Schaeffer watched his daughter run off, and prayed he hadn't lied to her when he told her he would be back.


	25. Learning About Bliss

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Aelita was quiet the next morning at breakfast. Jeremie tried talking to her, but got nowhere. It got to the point to where Aelita got up and left the cafeteria to avoid his questions.

"Say, what's up with the Princess?" Odd asked between gulps of breakfast.

"I'm not sure," the blond genius replied, "I haven't seen her since yesterday at lunch."

"Well, Aelita's not the only mystery we've got on our hands," Ulrich said, "the police came to the school yesterday afternoon looking for Ms. Hertz."

"Yeah, and when I saw daddy last night, he wouldn't say anything about it," Sissi added, "I tried to find out more, but he just snapped at me to mind my own business."

"You know," Jeremie said, "Ms. Hertz would be the last person I would figure to be in trouble with the police. She's such a straight arrow, I wouldn't think she could even conceive of doing something wrong."

* * *

St. Maria's Drug Rehabilitation Center was a nondescript building a few blocks away from the main hospital complex in southern Paris. It had several wards devoted to helping addicts get through the first few days of withdrawal and programs to help them learn not to depend on the drugs they had been using.

Rene Mitchellete presented his credentials at the front desk and asked to see Suzanne Hertz. The nurse manning the desk told him that she wasn't available at the moment, that she was in a counseling session.

"Ms. Hertz is not under suspicion of wrong doing," he told the nurse, "but I need to speak to her about a matter pertinent to an investigation I am conducting. It is very important that I speak to her as soon as possible."

"Detective, it may well be late this afternoon before we could even..."

"Miss, if necessary, I will leave and return with a warrant for her arrest. And I would hate to have to tell my superiors that this establishment was hindering an official investigation. And, I'm sure your Board of Directors wouldn't like that either. Please, if at all possible, let me speak with Ms. Hertz."

"I will have to talk to my supervisor," the nurse said, trying to worm out of this increasingly unpleasant conversation.

"Please do," was all the investigator said.

Thirty minutes later, Mitchellete was shown into a conference room. A few minutes after that, a nurse entered with another woman, Suzanne Hertz. She was pale from the last few days, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. Her glasses looked dirty, and her general demeanor was depressed. She sat down in a chair across the table from the detective, while the nurse took up station at the door.

"Ms. Hertz, I am Detective Mitchellete," he began, "I need to ask you some questions. Let me tell you up front that you are not under suspicion of anything, but that may change depending on how this conversation goes. First, do you know a Pedro Del Toro?"

"Yes," Suzanne replied flatly, "he's my boyfriend."

"Then it is my sad duty to inform you that Mr. Del Toro is dead," Mitchellete replied, "he was found dead in his apartment yesterday morning. It looked like he died several days ago."

Ms. Hertz said nothing. A ghost of sorrow swept over her face for a moment, but quickly disappeared.

"Were you close to Mr. Del Toro?"

"Yes, until recently," Suzanne replied, "may I ask how he died?"

"Extreme brain hemorrhaging," Mitchellete replied, "he was using a drug called Bliss. The drug destroys brain cells, and if the right ones are destroyed, death is the result."

"I see," was all Suzanne said.

"You are in this facility for treatment of drug addiction," the detective said next, "is it for Bliss?"

Suzanne nodded her head yes.

"That explains a lot of things. Ms. Hertz, I cannot imagine what you are going through, but in case the people here haven't told you, Bliss is one hundred percent fatal. At some point in time, you will take enough of the drug to kill you, just as Mr. Del Toro did. We're still coming to grips with it, but from what I've heard, it is possible to recover from its effects. It won't be easy, but it is possible."

"Is there anything else I can do for you, detective?" Suzanne asked.

"Yes. Give me the name of the person who was selling you Bliss. We know it's all over the city, but we can't nail down who's selling it, or where it's coming from. A name, a description, anything will be of great help."

Suzanne motioned to the nurse, who came over and leaned down so she could whisper in her ear. The nurse straightened up and left the room, returning a few seconds later with paper and pen. She gave them to Suzanne, who wrote something down. When she had finished, she slid the pad over to Detective Mitchellete.

"That was the number I called when I need to get more," she said, "that description is of the man I usually met to pick it up, but it wasn't the same man I talked to on the phone. We usually met a few blocks from Pedro's apartment."

Mitchellete took the paper and put it in his pocket. He stood up and said, "thank you for helping us out. We have a specialist on Bliss from Russia here working with us. I'll have him get in contact with you and the facility here; maybe he can help you recover more quickly."

"Thank you," Suzanne said, "but they are releasing me today. As a matter of fact, I was going through their release procedures when you arrived."

"Then, do you require a ride somewhere? I'll be more than happy to take you where ever you need to go."

"Thank you, I would appreciate that."

* * *

It wasn't until after classes had let out that Jeremie caught up with Aelita. The pink haired girl was still looking depressed, but she at least didn't try and run from him.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said when he walked up to her in the courtyard, "it's just that I didn't want to talk to anyone this morning. My father's gone, Jeremie."

"I know," Jeremie said, "he sent me an email early this afternoon, telling me what happened. I'm sorry."

Aelita put an arm around Jeremie and gave him a hug. Jeremie returned the gesture, and together they walked into the park, finally sitting down under a tree next to a small pond.

"I know why he had to do this," Aelita began, "and I know leaving me with Simon and Sophie is the right thing to do, but I still feel like he abandoned me."

"Aelita, you know he loves you more than his own life," Jeremie replied, "we all thought he sacrificed himself to bring you back after XANA escaped. And since he came back, he's asked about all the things you've done since coming back to earth. A lot of times, we didn't do anything related to Lyoko, we just talked about you. He was excited when he first instantiated that polymorphic clone of himself for you when you left for London. He was so obsessed with getting it just right. And afterwards, he tweaked it more and more so he could see you in the real world. I think he was preparing in case we could never find a way to materialize him, so he could at least interact with you in the world, and not through a computer screen."

"I just wish he could have stayed a little longer," the girl finally said.

"I know he does too," Jeremie replied, "but that last run in with XANA reminded him he's still a wanted man. Sooner or later, XANA's gonna be back and as strong as ever. We need to destroy him before that happens. After that, your father can come back and we can all build a life."

With that, Jeremie pulled Aelita close and hugged her again. After a moment, she lifted her head and kissed him as new tears streamed down her face.

* * *

A meeting with the entire staff didn't happen very often, just at the beginning and ending of the school year, and Christmas. Any other time, Jean-Pierre met with the different departments separately. However, Anton Solovieff insisted on everyone who could to be in attendance, so the principal made the meeting mandatory.

Since the whole staff was involved, after school activities were canceled, along with after school detentions, much to the offender's joy. The staff gathered in the cafeteria for the meeting, the only room other than either the library or the gym that could hold all the people. Jim had brought a white marker board over from the Administration building, just in case it was needed. Rosa made coffee and cookies, which was pronounced a hit by everyone there. After everyone had gotten some coffee and at least one cookie, they settled down in seats, waiting for the presentation to begin.

Jean-Pierre stood up before the gathering and began.

"Thank you all for being here this afternoon. Yesterday, Mr. Anton Solovieff asked that I convene this session so he could make you all aware of a troubling new drug that has started showing up on our streets. And now, I present to you Mr. Solovieff."

Anton stood up and walked to where the principal was standing. He shook Jean-Pierre's hand and thanked him for the introduction, then turned to the audience.

"Thank you for the welcome," he began, "as Mr. Delmas has said, my name is Anton Solovieff, and I am an Inspector with the Russian State Police. I work in the Narcotics Division, battling the rising tide of drug abuse in my country."

"Almost a year ago, a new drug started showing up on our streets, called Bliss. It was touted as the ultimate drug; one that provided pure pleasure without any side effects. And, initially, this seemed to be true. Users of the drug experienced extreme pleasure, beyond even what sexual activity could provide, and there was no trace of any kind of craving, stupor, or any physical reaction."

"The drug was first sighted in Krasny Signorsk, Siberia. By the time we began our investigation, fully one eighth of the population there had tried Bliss at least once. Of that number, twelve died due to damage caused by the drug."

"Damage?" one of the teachers said, "I thought you said this drug didn't have any side effects?"

"That we knew of at first," Anton said, "when we investigated further, we found that Bliss directly attacks brain tissue, particularly the tissue in the pleasure center. Once the damage reaches a certain point, the user finds they can't experience pleasure on almost any level. They become taciturn and depressed. The only way they can feel good is to take more Bliss, which in turn causes more damage. The brain tries to compensate for the damage by retasking other brain cells to the pleasure center, which Bliss also attacks. Finally, diluted Bliss isn't enough for them to experience pleasure, so they move on to undiluted Bliss. Once that happens, the user dies."

"Always?" came a question.

"Always," Anton replied, "Bliss concentrate is fatal in doses beyond 30ccs, and that amount is cumulative. Three hits of 10ccs will do it, or 2 hits of 15."

"Is the drug addictive?" asked another teacher.

"Not physically," Anton replied, "and in a sense, it isn't psychologically addictive. A user will quickly find though that by using Bliss, they will not feel the pleasure they did before they started using the drug."

"And this drug is here, in Paris?"

"Yes. It is just now coming to the attention of the police here, but Bliss has been on the streets for months. As a matter of fact, just yesterday, I was with the Paris police investigating a death caused by Bliss."

"Are you implying that this drug is here, in this school?" Nurse Yolande asked.

"No, I have no direct evidence of that," Anton said, "my being here today is as much as a concerned relative of a student as it is a police officer."

"I'm sure that none of the students has been taking this stuff," said Jean-Pierre, "and I'm confident that none of the staff have had it either. Bliss won't be showing up here."

"That would be where you are wrong, Jean-Pierre," came a woman's voice.

Everyone turned to the speaker. There, in the doorway of the cafeteria, stood Suzanne Hertz. She was dressed in what looked like a jogging suit, with her hair tied back. She stood there looking as if she was about to cast herself to hungry lions.

"Bliss is already here in Kadic," she said, "I know because I brought it here."

* * *

The information Suzanne gave the police bore immediate fruit. They quickly tracked down and arrested the man she described, then took him to headquarters for questioning. Just as soon as he was handcuffed, the man started mouthing off demands that he had no right to in France, probably due to watching too much American television. As soon as he was processed, Detective Mitchellete hauled him into an interrogation room and started educating him on the French Way of dealing with drug dealers.

Mitchellete leaned back and wiped some sweat and blood from his face. He had been questioning this suspect for most of the afternoon, but the man just wouldn't cooperate.

The suspect, one Rene LeClerc, slumped to the table. If it weren't for the fact he was handcuffed to the tabletop, he probably would have fallen from his seat. After a moment, he raised his head back up, revealing bruises and cuts from the blows he had received from Mitchellete. The man coughed, and a spot of blood and a tooth flew from his mouth, joining other broken teeth on the table.

"Ready to talk now?" Mitchellete asked, "it's getting late and we're both getting tired of this. Tell me something, and I'll get you out of here and looked at."

LeClerc glared up at the detective for a moment, then lowered his head in defeat as Mitchellete prepared to hit him again.

"Alright, I'll tell you what I know," he finally said.

"This had better not be a joke," Mitchellete said, "we haven't even gotten started yet."

"I get it, okay?" LeClerc said, "problem is, I don't know how much help I'll be. I don't know all that much."

"Let us be the judge of that," Mitchellette replied, "talk."

"Okay, I don't know exactly who is distributing the stuff," the drug dealer began, "but I do know that there's only one source. 'Bout a month after Bliss hit the streets, someone tried selling a counterfeit, and let me tell you, it was bad. But as quick as the shit hit the street, it disappeared. One, the junkies found out quick that is wasn't near as good as the real stuff; and two, whoever is making the stuff came down hard on the copycats."

"So, who is making it?"

"Haven't got a clue," LeClerc said, "I'm not even sure that the guy I got my supply from is the producer."

"Who is your supplier?" Mitchellette asked next.

"I don't know," was the reply, "I was hooked up by Manson. He told me to call a certain number and place an order. The product would be delivered and I'd pay the delivery guy."

"Manson? You mean Luc Manson?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't Luc I talked to, nor was he the one who made the delivery. Matter of fact, the guy who delivers the stuff isn't the one I talk to. The guy on the phone is either French or Italian, and the delivery boy is usually Russian."

"Anything else you can tell me?" Mitchellete asked, figuring he had gotten about as much as he could from this fish.

"No, man. Say, does this square me on the murder rap?"

"It doesn't even come close," the detective said as motioned to another detective, "you're going to have to come up with a lot more before that could be covered. Something like the name of the distributer."

"Fuck me then," LeClerc said, "you might as well take me out and shoot me. I don't know who it is, but they don't take shit from anyone. I hear some gang crossed them a couple of weeks ago and got themselves chopped up for their trouble; except for the gang leader. I hear they fed him to the rats."

Mitchellete perked up at that piece of news.

"When did this happen?" he asked, "this is the first I've heard about anything like that."

"Well then," LeClerc said, leaning back as far as his bound hands would allow, "maybe I do have something to bargain with."

"Maybe you do," the detective agreed, "but any benefit you may get from it disappears unless you tell me everything you know, right now."

"What about the murder charges?"

"Tell me what you know and we'll see."

"I need something more than that."

"What you'll get is the end of a rope if you don't start talking."

"Okay! A couple of weeks ago, a gang called the Apaches just up and disappeared. Now, they have some heavy backers, so you'd think that whoever did this would be dog meat. Well, nothing ever comes of it. Supposedly, the gang members were butchered up and deposited in some landfill outside of town. The gang leader? His body wound up in his benefactor's back yard, hung in a tree. Word is there was a note that said the next time someone got close to the operation, his family would get the same treatment while he watched and waited his turn."

"Interesting," Mitchellete said once Rene finished. He then said to his partner, "get him out of here and clean him up. Then, get a hold of the Gang Unit and see what they know about the Apaches."

After LeClerc was taken away, Mitchellete went to his desk and picked up the phone.

"Maurice? Rene. Can you tell me what Giuseppe Santini's been up to recently?"

* * *

The staff meeting fairly well erupted when Suzanne made her declaration. People started jumping to conclusions faster than a frog on a hotplate. Finally, Jean-Pierre managed to get the group settled, then turned back to the Science teacher.

"Suzanne, just what do you mean by, 'I brought it here?'" he asked.

"I mean that I not only used it at home and with Pedro, I used it at school, too," she replied, "I primarily used it after classes, but I did use it here."

"Ms. Hertz, I don't think this is the forum to make these statements," Anton interjected.

"I agree," Jean-Pierre said, "I think it best we adjourn this meeting and continue the discussion in my office."

"Jean-Pierre, take it easy on her, okay?" Jim Moralés chimed in, "she's had a hard time of it."

"I can make no promises at this point, Jim," the principal replied, "Suzanne's public confession places me in a rather awkward position."

With that, Jean-Pierre and Suzanne left the cafeteria and went to his office. Jim followed them out, while Anton stayed behind to answer questions.

When they got to the principal's office, Jean-Pierre didn't even wait long enough to sit at his desk.

"What were you thinking, Suzanne?!" he fairly well shouted, "what you said back there fairly well compels me to fire you!"

"I know, Jean-Pierre," Suzanne said.

"Jim, what are you doing here? You aren't part of this," the principal said to the gym teacher, who had followed them from the cafeteria and into the office.

"I'm sorry sir, but yes I am," he said, "I knew about Suzanne last week. I didn't know exactly what was wrong, but I knew she had a problem."

"When?" the principal asked.

"Thursday afternoon," came the reply.

"Are you saying that you took this drug also?" was the principal's next question.

"No," Jim said, "Suzanne lost control, and I helped her settle down, that's all."

Jean-Pierre Delmas stood in the center of his office and stared at the two teachers. Jim looked like he was embarrassed at what he just said, and Suzanne looked like she was ready to dig a hole in the floor and crawl into it. Given what the principal had just learned about this drug, he could only imagine how Jim "settled down" Suzanne.

"Let me ask this," he finally said, "were any students exposed to this drug? Did any students use it?"

"No," Suzanne said, "I would never endanger a student like that!"

"Jim?"

"No sir, Principal Delmas sir! None of the students knew about what happened."

Jean-Pierre let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding. He turned and went to his desk, sitting down and fidgeting with some papers to help him calm down and gather his thoughts.

"Suzanne, Jim, both of you are on Probation," he finally said, "and will remain so for a period of no less than a month. Suzanne, I take it that the reason why you've been gone is because you've been getting treatment for your addiction?"

"Yes, it has."

"Because of that, and because no student has thus far been involved, if there are no further incidents, I will keep this off your employment record. The same goes for you, Jim. However, in the future I would expect to be informed whenever you learn something that would negatively impact this institution. Also, if I find that either or both of you have engaged in, or engage in the future, any activities that would bring legal inquiries against the school, I will not hesitate to fire you both. Now, Suzanne, I suggest you go home and get some rest. In the meantime, I'm going back to the cafeteria to try and calm the tempest you stirred up."


	26. A Special Appearance

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next day, Wednesday, the talk of the school was Suzanne Hertz's rather spectacular return. Even though none of the students were witness to the event, gossip from the teachers that were there leaped the teacher/student boundary and spread like wildfire all over the student body, with speculation just as rampant among the kids as it was the adults.

The Lyoko Warriors weren't spared any of the effect.

"So, Ms. Hertz was using Bliss?" Odd asked over breakfast.

"That's what's going around," Sissi replied, "that's the same stuff that guy tried selling us Saturday night."

"Ms. Hertz would be the last person on earth I would ever figure on using drugs," Jeremie said, "she's just so straight-laced."

"I thought there was something a little off about her," Aimee Simon said, "something about her reminded me of other junkies I've seen."

"Ms. Hertz is not a junkie!" Jeremie almost shouted.

"Calm down, Belpois; I didn't mean anything by it," Aimee quickly said then added, "look, you're probably right. She did something about it; most junkies don't unless they're caught and forced to."

Jeremie grumbled a bit more, but settled down and started back on his breakfast. Aimee then turned to Aelita, sitting next to the genius, and asked, "have you thought any more about meeting my boyfriend? I know the last couple of days have been crazy for you, so I haven't pressed."

"I don't know," Aelita said, "maybe this weekend. Bring him by the club and introduce me before I go on; how 'bout that?"

"Won't work out," Aimee replied, "see, he's leaving town for a few weeks tomorrow."

"Well, we can get together when he gets back."

Aimee grimaced. "Look, I'm in a bind here. He really likes you, okay? And I... sorta promised him he could meet you today."

Aelita looked at her roommate sharply, then said, "I never really said I'd meet him in the first place; just that I'd think about it."

"I know, I know," Aimee said, "and I'm sorry. But could you help me out here?"

"I suppose," Aelita finally said, "when does he want to meet up?"

"I'll set it up with him and let you know. After school, at least."

When everyone left for class, Aimee got out her cell phone and called Vlad.

"Okay, I've got her," she said without preamble, "where and when?"

"The Factory," was Vlad's reply, "in private section. We sublet space from club. You bring her there, after school, and head won't go boom."

* * *

Usually, Ms. Hertz was already in class when the students arrived, Jeremie thought to himself. He thought it strange that she wasn't there, but walked in just when the bell rang. She crossed over to her desk and stood looking at the class for a moment, before she spoke.

"I'm sure by now everyone here has heard about what happened at last evening's staff meeting," she started, "I won't stand before you and deny that it happened, because it did. For now, I will not discuss anything related to last night and the events that led up to it. At some point in the future, and in a different venue, I may have more to say, but until then the subject is off limits; so I'd appreciate it if you respected my privacy in this matter. Now, put you books away and we'll have a little quiz to see just how badly you have slacked off in my absence."

Of course, most of the class groaned at that pronouncement.

Suzanne passed out the tests and watched the students as they struggled through the answers. Belpois and Stones had no troubles, naturally. The new girl, Simon, looked at Aelita, then her paper, then back at Aelita, then back at her paper. This continued until the girl noticed Suzanne looking at her; she then put her eyes on her paper and began writing.

Stern was trying hard, but it looked like he wasn't getting anywhere. Della Robbia, on the other hand, didn't even seem to be trying; he was looking up at the science teacher with a strange look on his face. Then, as if he had come to a decision, he put his head down and started writing on his quiz paper. The rest of the class was performing much as she had expected. When fifteen minutes had elapsed, she told them to put their pencils down and pass their quizzes to the front.

The tests were quickly passed up, and Suzanne picked them up. As she walked back to her desk to set them aside, she felt something funny in the pile. She sat and quickly found the anomaly, a folded paper crane. She quickly looked up and zeroed in on the likely culprit, Odd Della Robbia. The boy was sitting in his seat, almost angelic in his guilt. He had a big grin on his face that screamed, "yeah, I did that," as he looked right back at her. This caused Suzanne Hertz to do something she hadn't done in what seemed like ages.

She smiled right back at him.

For the first time in a while, since she had started using Bliss, Suzanne felt a small twinge of pleasure at Odd's simple gesture. He had done this in the past, and while it annoyed her, it also tickled her, because he could be so creative at times. She savored the small feeling for a moment, then stood up and continued class.

When the bell rang, Ms. Hertz called for Odd to remain behind. He stopped at her desk and she told him simply, "thank you."

* * *

Anton Solovieff and Rene Mitchellete sat in Mitchelette's office, talking this morning about what was learned yesterday.

"LeClerc may well have given us a crack into where Bliss is coming from," Mitchellete said, "he mentioned an incident that happened recently that gives me a possible source."

"Oh?" Solovieff replied.

"Yeah. Vittorio and Giuseppe Santini. They're mid-level players in the drug trade, and they've been moving up over the years. Vittorio started out smuggling with his uncle, then took the business over when said uncle died. Giuseppe is actually the older brother, but Vittorio has the brains of the two. Giuseppe provides the muscle, courtesy of Russian Mafia outcasts they've recruited. Now, the Russians are a nasty bunch to begin with, and from what I've heard, the crew Santini has makes them look like choir boys. But, it's Giuseppe's little habit of using sewer rats that makes me think they're involved here."

"Why so?"

"Story goes that a gang, called the Apaches, stepped into something they shouldn't have and got themselves killed. The leader of the gang supposedly was chewed up by rats as an example."

"I see," Anton said, "have you been able to turn anything else up?"

"Not yet," Mitchellete said, "but now I've got something to look for. A guy I know in Organized Crime told me that the Santinis had some business in, of all places, Siberia a while back. Kinda makes you wonder."

"So, what do you do now?"

"Poke around some more. See if I can find anything that might connect Santini to your chemist. Check to see what the Apaches did that pissed off whoever they pissed off."

"I wish I could help you more," Anton said, "but I'm afraid I'll be heading back to Russia. Since nothing's turned up, and I've raised your awareness of Bliss in the area, I've been ordered to return."

"Well, maybe you can do some checking on that end for me," Mitchellete said.

"Perhaps I can," was Anton's reply, "perhaps I can."

* * *

Aimee met up with Aelita as soon as the last class ended for the day. Aelita was almost tempted to come up with an excuse not to go with the girl, but that could lead to problems with her roommate; and there wasn't anything to be worried about, was there?

"Hi!" Aimee shouted, running up to the pink haired girl, "ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure," Aelita replied, "just let me call Jeremie."

"What for?" Aimee asked.

"We were going to meet after classes today, before I went off with you. I'm just letting him know I won't be able to hook up."

"Okay, but let's do that while we walk."

With that, Aimee fairly well dragged Aelita off to the park. After regaining her balance, Aelita pulled out her cell phone and called Jeremie.

"Hi, 'Lita," came his voice.

"Jer, I'm going with Aimee to meet her boyfriend," Aelita said, "wanna tag along?"

That caused Aimee to slow down and look at Aelita.

"Can't," came Jeremie's reply, "I'm over at the factory, backing up more of those videos your father was making; you know, of the other section of the factory?"

"You're still doing that?" Aelita asked as she resumed walking, "I thought you stopped that some time ago."

"No," came the reply, "though I'm seriously considering it. Nothing ever jumped out at me, so I don't see any reason to keep it up."

"Well, do what you think's best," Aelita said, "I'll catch up with you later this evening, okay?"

"Okay," came Jeremie's reply, "have fun."

As soon as Aelita ended the call, Aimee asked, "why did you ask Jeremie if he wanted to come along?"

"Oh, I just thought it would be a good idea," Aelita replied.

The girls walked through the park and came out by The Factory. They had just crossed over the bridge to the entrance when Aelita asked, "what are we doing here?"

"My boyfriend works here," Aimee said.

"Really? If he's one of the other DJs, maybe I've met him already," Aelita said.

"No," Aimee said, "the company he works for sublets part of the building."

They had just walked in the entrance when Aimee said that, and it caused Aelita to stop.

"Aimee, we've been told under no circumstances to go into that part of the factory without permission," she said, "I think we'd better go back."

"It's okay!" Aimee quickly said, "he cleared it with his bosses! It's okay, Aelita; it's just for a couple of minutes."

Despite what she was thinking, Aelita let Aimee drag her down to the main floor, and over to the stairway leading down to the old assembly room, now the mysterious laboratory.

When they got to the door, Aimee knocked. It immediately opened and the girls went inside. Aelita had seen this section of the factory before, when it was still an assembly room, plus she had seen the videos of this section after it was closed off, so she wasn't all that disoriented by the laboratory layout. The conveyor belts were being used as tables, and it looked like whatever was being made here worked its way along the old assembly line to the end, where there was a rather large clear box.

"Welcome! Welcome to my laboratory," came a man's voice behind the girls.

Aelita whirled around and saw a somewhat tallish man with glasses standing by the door.

"Vlad! You scared me!" Aimee said, walking over to him and giving him a hug. She then turned, her arm still around him, and said to Aelita, "Aelita Stones, this is my boyfriend, Vlad. Vlad, this is Aelita."

"How do you do," Aelita said, taking one step forward and extending her hand.

Vlad took Aimee's arm from around him and walked up to the pink haired girl. He took her proffered hand in both of his and said, "I am deeply honored to meet you, Aelita Stones."

Aelita pasted a smile on her face that stopped just beyond her lips. As soon as she saw the man, she realized that she was in big trouble. He looked way to old to have a girlfriend as young as Aimee, and she didn't particularly like the way he was looking at her; like she was a new toy for his amusement. Unfortunately, he was between her and the door, and from what she could see, it looked like he had locked it.

Which meant she was effectively trapped.

* * *

Jeremie ejected the DVD from the drive slot, then slumped back in the console chair. It took three DVDs to back up a weeks worth of these video files Franz had been keeping, and he just finished writing the last one. He took it and added it to the large group of other DVDs he had prepared since they had begun tracking what was going on in the assembly room, then turned back to the console. He pulled up the program that was doing the recording and prepared to deactivate it.

By starting the program, Jeremie also pulled up a display of what was currently being recorded. The blond genius just about fell out of his chair when he saw Aelita, along with her roommate Aimee and one of the guys that worked in the assembly room standing in said room and talking. The man was holding Aelita's hand in both of his. Just then, he let her go and gestured off to one side. The three of them set off in that direction and out of the camera's view.

"What the heck is she doing over there?" Jeremie wondered out loud. He entered a command on the keyboard, and the display changed to where the three people were, the cot hold that the man slept in. Now, it had candles lit all around it. Jeremie had seen just enough thrillers to know that the psycho killer generally adorned his lair in candles, thinking it romantic, before doing his foul deeds.

Jeremie jumped out of the console chair and ran for the ladder leading up to the Pink Paradise. He hoped he could get to Aelita before said foul deeds started happening to her.

* * *

Ever since Aimee called him, Vlad had been preparing for this moment. He told his two assistants to take the afternoon off, because there was something he had to work on alone. Anitoly and Gennedy were out to lunch and wouldn't be back for hours, and even then, wouldn't come in here until just before they left. That meant he wouldn't have any unexpected guests disturbing him and the girls.

He lit candles and put them all around his sleeping area, hoping to set the right mood for the rendezvous, and had music in his boom box that should let them relax together. He even managed to sneak in some vodka so they'd relax even more. After making sure everything was ready, Vlad nervously awaited for his girls to arrive.

And when she walked in, she was even more beautiful than he had imagined. Her skin was so white and smooth, Vlad was certain it would feel like silk when he touched her. He could sense her tenseness, and he understood it; one was always nervous on a first date. When he took her hand in his and welcomed her, he silently pledged his heart to her, and hoped she would accept.

As he escorted them back to his cot, he could see them both tense up. He stayed between the two girls and the door, not wanting to have their fears spoil this moment, this perfect moment when he would make them both his own.

* * *

Gennedy Checkov sat at an outdoor table of the bistro he was taking lunch at and watched his partner strike out yet again with the pretty waitress who always served them. Those two had been playing this game ever since the two Russians discovered this place when they first arrived, and Anitoly loved flirting with the girl. Gennedy wasn't certain, but his friend might just be making headway with the waitress, if her facial expression and body language were any indication.

As he sat and watched the show, his cell phone rang.

"_Da_," he answered.

"Where are you two at?" came the voice of Giuseppe Santini.

"At lunch," Gennedy replied, "is there problem?"

"I'm not sure," came the reply, "I just called one of Vlad's assistants to ask him about the latest batch, and he said he wasn't at the lab. Vlad told him and the other one to beat it."

"I don't know why he would do that," Gennedy replied.

"Neither do I," Giuseppe said, "anyway, I'm heading over to the lab to check things out. You and Anitoly meet me there ASAP."

Gennedy ended the call, then called out to Anitoly and told him his nookie hunting would have to wait for another day.

* * *

Vlad led both of the girls back to his cot. When they got there, Aelita saw all the candles around the area, seeming to frame the cot itself. It was almost like the man had set this room up as a temple, and the cot was its altar. This did nothing to soothe the pink haired girl's imagination.

"What you think?" Vlad asked, "I prepared it just for you."

"It's nice," Aimee quickly said.

"Yes, it is nice," Aelita added, more slowly. "So, how long have you worked here?"

"Oh, ever since the lab opened," Vlad replied, "I'm very important man. This place wouldn't exist without me. But, please; sit. You are my special guests today. Sit!"

Both girls went to the only place where they could sit, the cot. Aimee sat at the head, back on the bed leaning against the wall it was against, while Aelita sat at the foot, perched on the edge.

Vlad went over to his boom box and switched it on. Out of the speakers came one of Aelita's mixes, something she had done recently. He then started jerking about as he made his way over to a bottle and some paper cups. It took a few seconds, but Aelita realized that Vlad was dancing his way to the bottle. She kept her most polite smile pasted on her face.

"So, something to drink?" he proffered.

"Okay," Aimee said.

"No thanks," Aelita replied.

Vlad handed Aimee a cup, then handed one to Aelita.

"Please, I insist," he said. Aelita wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a vague edge creep into his voice when he said that.

She took the cup and took a small sip, then almost spat it out. It was alcohol, the strongest she had ever tasted. Fortunately, she hadn't drank all that much, so she carefully swallowed it, then held the cup in her lap.

"You, like?" Vlad asked.

"It's a little harsh," Aimee said, "you could have warned me; I'm not used to liquor this strong."

"It's vodka from Mother Russia," Vlad said proudly, "what about you, Aelita?"

"I'm not really into alcohol," she said, "and it is rather strong." She lifted the cup up to her lips again and pretended to take another sip. "I've heard Gennedy and Anitoly, two of the bouncers in the club, talk a lot about vodka. No offense, but if this is what vodka tastes like, I don't see the appeal."

"Because, it put hair on your chest!" Vlad happily roared, "a man can't be a man without vodka! And a woman can't be sexy without it! Now, how about we dance?"

"Excuse me?" Aelita asked.

"Dance," Vlad replied, motioning with his head, "this is supposed to be party, and you are sitting like lumps! Get up and dance!"

Vlad began his jerking about again, and the two girls looked at each other. Finally, Aimee put her cup down and got up and stepped over to Aelita. She bent down and whispered, "look, humor him a while. Dance around, pretend to have a good time and I'll get us out of here in a bit."

Aelita nodded and set her cup down. She and Aimee then stepped out into the middle of the room and began to dance to the music. Since it was dance music, it was easy to pick up the beat and dance. Aelita forced herself to look like she was enjoying herself, while Aimee looked like she actually was.

"Dance together," Vlad said next.

Aimee danced her way over to Aelita and synchronized herself with the girl. The danced that way for a few minutes, then Aimee started moving closer to Aelita.

"Yes, yes," Vlad was saying, "closer, closer."

Aimee edged closer, almost brushing up against Aelita. Aelita tried backing off, but Aimee quickly shook her head _no_. Aelita got the message and kept close to her.

Vlad had stopped his dancing now and was watching the two girls intently.

"Yes, closer," he said, almost hungrily, "take her in your arms."

Aimee's arms encircled Aelita, and she drew the girl close. Aimee knew what Vlad wanted next; she bent her face to Aelita's and brushed the girl's lips with her own. That caused the DJ to jerk out of Aimee's arms and backpedal.

"I'm sorry! I can't do this any more!" Aelita then dodged past Aimee and made a break for the door. Unfortunately, Vlad was between her and freedom. He quickly grabbed the girl and pulled her close.

"I know, I know," Vlad murmured in Aelita's ear as he pulled her close, "girls making out with girls is so wrong; you need a man's touch."

With that, Vlad leaned in and kissed the back of Aelita's neck. She screamed and tried her best to break free, but couldn't; Vlad was too strong.

* * *

The work crew did a good job when they sequestered the assembly room from the rest of the factory. Good, but not perfect. Jeremie had to poke around a bit, but he was quickly able to find a way to the assembly room that wasn't blocked off.

He quietly walked in and examined the equipment on the tables. There wasn't much of anything he could readily identify, but he did recognize one thing. On a piece of paper, next to the plexiglass box that seemed to be the end of the line, was scrawled the word BLISS.

_That was the drug Ms. Hertz was using_, Jeremie thought.

He would have looked closer at the paper, but at that moment, Aelita screamed from the cot hold. Jeremie ran over to the entrance and shouted, "get your hands off my girlfriend or I'll... Hey!!"

The reason for the last remark was someone grabbed Jeremie from behind and yanked him out of the way. He struggled a moment, enough to see that he was being held by a man he had seen on the recordings Franz had been making, flanked by two of the other workers in the lab, as well as Anitoly Tupulev and Gennedy Checkov.

* * *

Suddenly, a new voice shouted, "get your hands off my girlfriend or I'll... Hey!!"

Everybody in the room stopped what the were doing and looked at the source of the shout. Aelita managed to break free of Vlad's grasp and get a couple of steps away from him.

At the entrance to the cot hold, there was nothing for a moment, but out of sight there came the sound of a scuffle. Then a group of men came into view. Two of them, Aelita recogonized immediately: Gennedy and Anitoly. Two other men, Aelita had never seen in person, only on the videos that her father had been recording of the assembly room. The last man was Giuseppe Santini, the head of this lab. And Giuseppe was holding a struggling Jeremie Belpois in his grasp.

"Now, just what the hell is going on here, Vlad?" Giuseppe asked with murder in his voice.


	27. Blissful Ending

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Vladimir Ptcharsky stared at his boss like Satan himself had just appeared before him.

Giuseppe shoved Jeremie at Anitoly, closed the distance to Vlad, and slapped him. Vlad staggered back and rubbed the cheek Giuseppe struck.

"Let me explain..." he sputtered, but Santini didn't give him a chance to finish. He lashed out and punched Vlad in the solar plexus, causing him to double over. Next, Giuseppe slammed his forearm into the back of Vlad's neck, knocking him down. He then proceeded to viciously kick Vlad where ever he could.

"What did I tell you!" Giuseppe shouted as he pummeled the chemist, "I said don't touch the locals! I even got this bitch to keep you company, and you still had to try and dip your pen in the local inkwell!"

With that last statement, Giuseppe kicked Vlad in the crotch, causing the man to retch. Santini staggered back, then turned his attention to Aimee.

"And you! You were supposed to keep this from happening! What the fuck are you doing here, and with her!"

"I had no choice! I had no choice!" Aimee pleaded, "Vlad said if I didn't, he would kill me!"

"How the hell could he do that?!" Giuseppe shouted back.

"He put a bomb in this necklace, and said if I didn't bring Aelita here by today, it would explode and kill me!"

Giuseppe walked over and ripped the necklace from Aimee's neck. The girl screamed and cringed when he did, then looked up, surprised that happened. Giuseppe then slapped her hard, causing her to stagger back and fall on the cot.

"Stupid bitch!" the gangster spat, "even an idiot should see that this shit isn't explosive!"

By this time, Vlad had somewhat recovered from Giuseppe's beating, and chuckled at Aimee and Giuseppe's dilemma as he lay on the floor. Giuseppe responded by kicking the chemist again, until Vlad was groaning once more.

"You watch Vlad and the kids," Santini said to the others, "I've got to make a call."

With that, Giuseppe gave Vlad one more kick, this time in the head, and walked out of the cot hold.

"Why not let us go and call it a day," Jeremie said from Anitoly's grasp. Anitoly just laughed.

"Not possible," he replied, "you should have stayed at school; none of you are going to like what comes next."

Meanwhile, Giuseppe went to the opposite side of the lab and made a call.

"Giuseppe, what's up?" came Vittorio Santini's voice on the cell phone.

"Brother, we've got a situation," Giuseppe said with no preamble, "I'm here, in the lab, with Vlad, Vlad's girlfriend, and two of the kids from the club."

"What happened?" Vittorio asked.

"I don't know exactly how it happened, but that girl brought the pink haired DJ over to see Vlad. Somehow, the blond kid with the glasses found a way in here and was about to get his ass kicked when I grabbed him. Vittorio, I really screwed up this time, and I'm not sure how to fix it."

"Can you hold them until I get there?" Vittorio asked next.

"Yeah, I can do that," was the response.

"Good. I'll round up a bunch of the boys and be over there in about an hour. Don't let anyone leave until then."

An hour later, Vittorio Santini and a group of men walked into the lab. While they were waiting, Giuseppe had the kids put out all of the candles in the room, then made them sit on the cot. Gennedy and Anitoly found some plastic cable ties and bound up Vladimir. They also taped his mouth shut so they didn't have to listen to him babble.

Vittorio entered the cot hold and surveyed the situation.

"I take it no one has tried to call out?" he asked.

"No, nobody's made a move," Giuseppe replied.

Vittorio nodded. "Okay. get Mr. Ptcharsky and your 'niece' out of here. I'm willing to bet you have some choice words for both of them on this matter."

"Yeah, I do," Giuseppe replied. The older brother jerked his head at the others that came with Vittorio, and they set about hauling Vlad and Aimee out of the room. Aimee started screaming when the grabbed her, but the man grabbing her hit her hard, knocking her out. A piece of tooth flew out of her mouth and bounced on the floor. Another man grabbed the piece and put it in his pocket.

"The rest of you start breaking the lab down," Vittorio said, "we're closing down as of right now. Anything that can't be stopped and restarted later is trashed. I don't want a scrap of paper left lying around anywhere. What about the current batch?"

One of the lab assistants went over, opened the box and pulled out a bottle.

"Vlad generally checks it out, but it looks good to me," he said.

"Good, bring it over here, then find me a syringe," Vittorio said.

All this time, Aelita and Jeremie stared at the man commanding the scene. Jeremie remembered a video from early on showing this man in a diving suit talking with the others. The way Giuseppe spoke to him, and the way he was speaking to the others, this must be the big boss of whatever was going on here.

"First off, I must apologize to you both," Vittorio said, turning back to the two teens, "you were never meant to know about any of this. As a matter of fact, I sublet this place because I wanted the perfect hiding place for my little lab here; someplace that no one would ever suspect. In case you haven't figured it out yet, Gennedy and Anitoly work for me, and their job was to make sure no one ever associated the club with drugs. They were to make sure none of that shit ever was ever found around here. And from what I heard, it was working, too."

"The Late Vladimir Ptcharsky likes his female companions a little younger than is socially acceptable, so we got Aimee to keep him company. We specifically told him not to involve anyone from around here, lest he be traced back to us. Fat lot of good that did. So here we are; I've got to shut down a lab that was making millions for me, and I've got to deal with two potential witnesses whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I've gotta do what I've gotta do, but I can at least gently send you on your way."

By this time, the lab tech had returned with the container of liquid, a hypodermic needle and some rubber gloves. Vittorio whistled, and several men came up to him.

"Hold them," was all he said.

The men then went over and grabbed Jeremie and Aelita. They both struggled for an instant, then relaxed once they realized they couldn't escape. Vittorio, in the meantime, put on the gloves, then took the syringe and drew some of the liquid from the bottle. He filled the needle, then squirted out a little fluid to get rid of the air bubble. He then turned to his victims.

"This is Bliss," he said, "30ccs will kill an adult in about four hours. I'm willing to bet on kids your size, it'll work a lot quicker."

He walked over to Aelita, took her right arm, and checked for a vein. He fumbled about for a minute, then asked for a strap or belt. The only such thing was the belt around Jeremie's waist, so one of the gang members took that off and gave it to Vittorio. The gang leader set the needle aside, then put the belt round Aelita's upper arm. He pulled it tight and had a man hold it while he picked up the needle again, held her arm and looked once more for a vein. Seeing one he liked, he stuck the needle in her arm and injected the entire amount into the girl. He then stepped back and watched the drug take effect.

It hurt Aelita when the needle entered her arm. As the drug entered her bloodstream, it burned, but quickly turned to an itch, then a tickle. A tickle that started up her arm, across her shoulder, up her neck and into her head. When it got to her head, her whole world changed.

Suddenly everything, the man's grip on her arm, her clothes rubbing against her skin, the slight movement of air through the room, started filling her with immense pleasure, a pleasure that grew.

Vittorio stood before her and observed her reaction. He smiled, then brushed his hand across her cheek, causing Aelita to moan.

"Doesn't that feel good?" he said to her. Aelita could only stare back at him as she tried to control the sensations coursing through her. Vittorio noticed her inner struggle and said, "and it's only going to get better. I'm not one who goes in for molesting little girls, but feel this."

He then reached out to her chest and gently fondled her breast, squeezing her nipple. Aelita moaned for a second, then squealed.

"I'm willing to bet that was your first orgasm," Vittorio said with a half smile, "if you gotta go, Bliss is the best way to do it. Put her down on the cot; I don't think she'll be a problem now."

The man holding her guided her to the cot and set her down. Aelita flopped back, lost in the sensations that were flowing through her. Unconsciously, her hand started moving about, one feeling her chest where Vittorio had groped her, the other wandering about, looking for new sensations to raise.

Vittorio now turned his attention to Jeremie. He refilled the needle with Bliss, then had his henchmen roll the boy's sleeve up. Once again, Jeremie's belt was used as a tourniquet.

"You her boyfriend?" Vittorio asked. When Jeremie didn't answer, he continued, "well, it doesn't matter. You are about to go out like a lot of guys would like to. Hell, if I had my choice, I'd pick this way out."

He then took the needle and injected Jeremie. The boy's reaction was a lot like Aelita's, although Vittorio didn't give the boy something to intensify the experience. Instead, he took the boy over and lay him down next to Aelita, then put Jeremie's hands on her, and Aelita's hands on him. Even though Jeremie hadn't entirely succumbed to the drug, he still pulled Aelita close and began kissing her, shuddering as he did. Aelita needed no prompting, either; she returned his kisses with fierce ones of her own. Their hands started roaming about each other; their moans coming out quite clear in the otherwise silent room.

Vittorio Santini stood before the cot and evaluated his handiwork. Then, satisfied, he turned away, giving the syringe and the bottle of Bliss concentrate to one of his crew before stripping off the gloves and stuffing them into his pockets.

"Wipe the prints off that," he told the man, "and be thorough about it. Give the lovebirds about fifteen minutes, then put them in that dressing room of hers, at the bottom of the elevator. I figure that in about fifteen minutes, the only thing those two will be capable of doing is fucking each other senseless. After you drop them off, put the bottle, the needle and his belt somewhere close by them. When their bodies are finally found, the first impression will be that Little Miss DJ here scored herself some undiluted Bliss, didn't know how to use it, and OD'd herself and loverboy here. It might not hold up long, but it should hold long enough for us to get clear. We'll set up somewhere else then start production all over again."

* * *

They named the drug right; because Jeremie was in bliss. Every sensation he registered, even the light entering his eyes, gave the boy almost unbearable pleasure. And to top it all off, the girl he loved was in his arms, and feeling the same way. That thought excited him more, and in ways he had never experienced before.

Almost without prompting, he pulled Aelita into his embrace, kissing her hard. The thrill he had doing this was tempered by just how quickly, almost harshly, he did it. The girl in his arms didn't seem to mind, though, because she returned his kiss just as urgently. He pulled back, and then leaned in to kiss her again, this time more gently, like he had the previous times. At first, she savaged his mouth in return, but settled down when he kept the same pressure up. _This feels more right,_ he thought to himself.

As he kissed her, his hands moved over her, guided by her own hands. One, he slipped under her head to pull her closer, the other roamed about, tracing the curves of her side, up and down. She moaned in his mouth as he did this, then took the roving appendage and pressed it to her chest, where Vittorio had earlier groped her. Instinctively knowing what she wanted, Jeremie gently squeezed, causing Aelita to break their kiss and squeal again. She then buried her face in his neck and began kissing, licking and sucking his nape.

Through all of this, Jeremie was feeling waves of pleasure, almost like what he had felt when they had made out a few days ago. It was like that previous time, but more so. What was then a new thrill now was a tidal wave threatening to drown him.

But, strangely enough, while he was almost lost in all this pleasure, his mind still seemed to be working. Between the waves of pleasure, he heard what Vittorio had ordered, that he and Aelita be put down in the console room. That meant that they could escape death by jumping to the past!

That is, of course, if he could ever bring himself to do it.

"Aelita," he whispered in her ear, "all we have to do is hold on for a few minutes, then we'll be free." When he finished, he ran his tongue along the edge of her ear, causing her to shiver.

"I know," she hoarsely whispered back, "it's all I can do to hold back now. God, there are things I want I can barely understand." She then lifted her head back up and began kissing his mouth again. Now, her tongue started to force it's way in to mingle with his.

"Mmmmf, Aelita," Jeremie managed to get out, "hold on, just a little longer."

He then returned her embrace with a savage embrace of his own, his tongue meeting hers and swirling together. She moaned in gratitude.

* * *

Gennedy Checkov had never in his life regretted anything he had done, until today. Until the moment that he saw Jeremie outside of Vlad's cot hold, he had never even admitted to himself that he liked Aelita and her friends. Watching them come to the club and dance and enjoy themselves, along with all the other teens that came to The Factory, had actually warmed his stony heart. And now he had to help kill them.

"Anitoly, what you think of this?" Gennedy asked his friend in Russian.

"Wrong place, wrong time," Anitoly said with a shrug, "I know what you're thinking; hey, I like them too. But if they tell anyone, both our asses will be in jail for very long time. And it's not like they're feeding Giuseppe's rats."

"Still," Gennedy said with a shrug, then looked at his watch. "It's been fifteen minutes now, let's put them away."

The two former bouncers called off the others watching Jeremie and Aelita. The two leered as they walked out, commenting that it was a shame they were going to miss the show, because it looked like it was going to be a good one. They walked over and separated the two teens, Gennedy taking Aelita, and Anitoly taking Jeremie. Both kids struggled at being separated, but the two men handled them expertly.

"Calm down," Gennedy said as they struggled, "you'll be together again soon, then no one will bother you any more."

With that, they took the two teens and left the lab. One of the other gang members tagged along, carrying the now pristine bottle of Bliss concentrate and the needle. They made it to the elevator and took it down to Aelita's dressing room. There, Gennedy and Anitoly put Jeremie and Aelita on the couch. Immediately, both teens latched onto each other and resumed what they had started in the lab. The other man put the bottle, the needle and Jeremie's belt down close to the couch. With that done, the trio got back in the elevator and started back up, leaving the kids to their own devices.

* * *

As soon as the elevator door closed, Jeremie tried to sit up. It was hard; a good portion of his mind wanted nothing more than to make out with Aelita. And, she wasn't letting him get away from her. As soon as the elevator door closed, she reached down and pulled his shirt off, knocking his glasses away in the process. Then, she pounced on his and began kissing and licking his chest. Jeremie gasped in surprise as the sensations shot up and down his body, seemingly settling in his groin. The sensation caused his mind to clear up again, and he struggled upright. She almost screamed out in frustration when he tried sitting up. He then lay on her, kissing her face, working his way to her ear. When he got there, he whispered, "Aelita, let me get up; I have to set the Return."

She acted like she didn't totally understand what he had just said, but it had the desired effect; Aelita let him go. They then both got up and went over to the console. As they did, Aelita began removing the brown dress she had worn to school today. Jeremie started to say something, but remained silent. The part of him struggling to remain in control didn't want to say or do anything to stop progress now, while the rest of him wanted to stop and help her remove everything else.

She had relieved herself of the confining clothing just as they reached the console, leaving only her panties. Aelita crushed herself in his back, nuzzling his nape.

"Jeremie," she said, almost breathless, "don't worry about it; turn around and pay attention to me now."

"Wait," was all he said.

Jeremie turned to the console and hit return on the keyboard. The display lit up, still logged on. The program recording the activity in the assembly room was still running, and Jeremie could see them quickly reducing the lab to nothing. Jeremie closed the window, opened another one and called up the Return to the Past program.

By this point, the Bliss in the system was starting to take complete control. Jeremie momentarily forgot what he was doing, until Aelita's moan to hurry up resonated through him, causing his mind to clear. He set the Return to go back to this morning sometime. He was about to hit enter at the delay time prompt when he felt Aelita's hands snake around him, pulling him away from the keyboard.

"Enough with the supercomputer," she cooed, almost pouting, "play with me now!"

She pressed herself against him again and began kissing and licking the back of his neck. Every fiber and his being wanted to turn around and return the gesture to her, but he didn't move. He tried reaching to the keyboard again, but it was like his arms were leaden; most of his mind was screaming to leave that stupid program alone and get back to what was important: Aelita. He leaned his head back, leaning into the embrace she was giving him, his mind slipping away in a maelstrom of lust.

Then Aelita started undoing his pants. They dropped down to his ankles and he stepped out of them somehow. Not satisfied, Aelita reached into his shorts.

That got Jeremie's attention. His mind cleared for a moment and his arms moved back to the keyboard. Aelita had found what she was looking for, and started caressing it. That just about caused the genius to lose it on many levels, but the waves of pleasure her actions produced cleared his mind just enough that he could enter the last response. He hit return on the keyboard, made out the blurred message, "Return to the Past now," then turned to his lover and crushed her to him; his rational mind finally drowning in all of the demands for pleasure. He picked her up on to her feet, then backed her into the console chair, where he fell upon her and started ravishing her chest with his kisses. She cried out, "Yes!" as the last remnants of their rational minds succumbed to the avalanche of desire.

It took a few seconds for enough quantum energy to build up to initiate the Return. In those few seconds, Jeremie and Aelita were locked in each others embrace, trying anything and everything to sate the desires rampaging through their systems. They were so lost in each other, they never noticed the white bloom of the Return to the Past wash over them.


	28. Making Things Right

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next thing they knew, Aelita and Jeremie were back in Ms. Hertz's science class. She had just finished her speech about the teacher's meeting last night when they arrived.

Both Aelita and Jeremie shot up from their seats, shouted incoherently, and collapsed to the floor. The whole class turned and looked at what happened. Ms. Hertz, standing at the front of the room, acted quickly.

"Someone, get those two up!" she commanded, "Odd, Ulrich, Sissi, Aimee, help them up and get them to the Infirmary, now!"

The designated teens rushed over; the boys taking Jeremie, the girls taking Aelita. Ms. Hertz went to the door, opened it, and walked out with them.

* * *

Jeremie woke up to a fuzzy world. He blinked a couple of times, then looked about him. He could tell he was in the Infirmary, but everything was blurred. He figured he must have lost his glasses somewhere.

He then looked over at the cot next to his. There, Aelita lay, not moving. Carefully, Jeremie sat up, then slid over the Aelita's cot.

"Aelita, are you okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Aelita cried out, jerked her shoulder away, and just about fell out of bed rolling away from him.

Jeremie immediately jumped back to his bed, just as Nurse Yolande came in.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Aelita replied, "I just had a bad dream for a moment, that's all."

"Well, you both lay quietly," Yolande said, "I have no idea what happened, and I'm still trying to decide if you both need to go to the hospital."

"Ma'am," Jeremie said, "I think we'll be okay if we rested a while. I don't know about Aelita, but I felt like all of the energy drained out of me back there."

"For right now, that's exactly what you two are going to do, rest," Yolande said, "there's going to be no sneaking off to where ever you sneak off to this time. Now lay back down and relax."

Jeremie did what he was told. He looked over at Aelita, who was laying down again, facing away from him.

"Aelita, what's wrong?" he whispered.

"Aftershocks," she replied, "just leave me alone for a while."

Nodding, Jeremie lay back in his bed and gave Aelita her space.

* * *

Aimee was real worried now. She had just convinced Aelita to come with her to see Vlad, and now she was in the Nurse's Office after fainting. By the way the nurse clucked over her and Jeremie, Aimee didn't think either of them would be going anywhere, except maybe the hospital.

And that meant she was dead.

As she walked to her next class, the girl absentmindedly rubbed her neck, specifically the necklace around it. At some point in time, it would explode; leaving a bloody mess where Aimee once stood.

She stopped walking and found a deserted corner. There she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

"_Da,_" came Vlad's voice.

"I've got a problem," Aimee said, "Aelita won't be coming with me this afternoon."

"Why not?" was the reply over the phone, "I've spent all morning preparing for your visit."

"She and her boyfriend passed out in class," Aimee said, "I helped take them to the nurse, and from what I heard her say, the nurse might put them both in the hospital. In any case, Aelita isn't leaving the school any time soon."

"I see. Too bad for you, I guess."

"Vlad! You've got to get this thing off me! If I die, they're going to looking all over to find out who did it, and they might just start looking real close at that factory you're at."

"Somehow, little one, I don't think so," Vlad said, "you have choice: bring pink haired girl to me, or boom."

With that, Vlad hung up.

Aimee ended the call and slumped against the wall.

* * *

"Aelita, are you feeling any better?" Jeremie asked from his cot.

"A bit, yeah," she replied, "but I still need some time."

"I understand, but we have another problem," he said, "at some point in time, Aimee is going to meet up with that guy, and unless you go with her, she could be in deep trouble."

"Right now, I'm having a real problem caring about what happens to Aimee," Aelita said.

"You may not right now, but you might if something bad happens to her," Jeremie said, "let me ask you this: in the last time line, did it look like she was enjoying what was happening to you?"

"No," Aelita said after a moment, "and at the end, she was really frightened. She thought that necklace she was wearing was a bomb of some kind."

"And she still does. We need to help her, and shut that lab down. Now we know that it's making drugs, we can't let it continue operating."

"You're right," Aelita said, "but what can we do?"

"First, we need to stop Aimee before she does something we can't take back."

* * *

"Now, isn't this interesting," Detective Mitchellete said to no one in particular. Anton Soloveiff, who was sitting at the desk next to his, looked up.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I just found a somewhat interesting connection," Mitchellete said, "it seems that some years ago, Vittorio Santini loaned some money to one Henri Bass."

"So?"

"Henri Bass owns a bunch of nightspots around town, rather successful ones. More importantly, however, is he owns The Factory."

"Eh?"

"The Factory. It's an underage night club in an old factory building close to that school you were at, Kadic."

"So what?" Anton said.

"So, one of my contacts in the Gang Unit told me that a certain gang, the Apaches, tried rousting the place a while back. The management never filed a police report, and right after that, the Apaches dropped off the face of the earth. Then there's that story LeClerc told me about a gang that got chopped up except for the leader, who was chewed up by rats. Now, we have a gang that hits a club owned by a guy that once borrowed money from the Santinis. Said gang disappears and a story gets out that a gang gets butchered and the leader fed to the rats, something generally associated with Giuseppe Santini. Coincidence? I think not."

"Do you have enough information to search The Factory?" Anton asked.

"No," Mitchellete said, "but I do have enough to start asking some people some questions."

"Such as?"

"Henri Bass, for one."

* * *

It was lunch time, and Aimee decided to head to the park. She didn't know when the necklace would explode, so she really didn't want to be around anybody when it did. She had just made it to the edge of the park when someone called her name. She turned about and saw Odd Della Robbia and Sissi Delmas waving as they ran up to her.

"Aimee! Good thing we caught you," Odd said, "Aelita wants to talk to you, like right now."

"Look, it won't do any good now," Aimee started, but Odd wouldn't let her finish.

"Aelita's real sorry about not meeting your boyfriend," he said, "and she wants to try and make up for it somehow."

"It's not her fault," Aimee said, "and there's nothing to be done about it, not now."

"Look, just come along with us," Sissi said, "Aelita's all upset about this, and it's not helping her get any better. Or is it you're too tough to care for a friend?"

Aimee bridled at that. "Of course I care! C'mon, let's go."

With that, she fairly well stormed back on to the campus, heading towards the Infirmary.

"I thought I could get her to go," Sissi said with a smirk, "now, you promised you'll tell me just what the heck is going on here, Odd."

"One day, I hope I can," Odd said as he turned to follow Aimee, "but we're keeping all this from you by your choice."

As she rushed to follow him, Sissi said, "yeah, and you're going to have to tell me when I agreed to that, too."

* * *

Aelita and Jeremie were sitting back in their bunks in the Infirmary, grinning over their latest victory. Nurse Yolande was all set to have the two sent to the hospital, but Jeremie managed to convince her there was no need, that they'd be willing to remain in the Infirmary under her watchful eye if that would make her feel better. The nurse was surprised by that declaration; generally, students did anything they could to get out once they got sent to the Nurse's Office. She agreed to their terms, then went back to her other duties.

It had been a few minutes since the conversation with the nurse, when the door opened and Aimee Simon walked in. A few seconds later, Odd and Sissi appeared at the door. Sissi held Odd back long enough to peck him on the cheek, then left. Odd walked in, shut the door behind him and stood by it, like a guard.

Aimee walked over to Aelita's bed.

"Hi; Odd said you wanted to talk to me," Aimee said.

"Yes," Aelita replied, "why did you want me to meet your boyfriend again?"

"He's a big fan, like I said," Aimee replied.

"It's not because he likes young girls, and he wanted me to join you in his bed?"

Aimee's jaw just about hit the ground. "What do you mean by that?" she was finally able to get out.

"I'll admit, I'm not the most street smart person in the world, but I was able to figure it out, after I thought about it long enough."

"I don't know what you're trying to imply, but..."

"Aimee, do you know why Jeremie and I passed out in class today?" Aelita asked.

"No."

"We're psychic. Sometimes, we can see into the future. That's what happened this morning. I saw us go over to the factory, into the sublet part your boyfriend works in as a chemist, and meet him. He took us back to the place where he sleeps, made us drink some nasty vodka, dance together before he made a move on me."

"No, that won't..."

"You're right, it won't," Jeremie said, "and that's only a part of the story. You see, about the time your boyfriend started hitting on my girl, I showed up, and so did Vladimir's boss, the one you call your uncle. And that almost got us killed. Now, I've heard a little about your life before coming here, Aimee; so why would you want to inflict it on someone else?"

"I didn't have a choice," Aimee softly said, "Vlad said he would kill me if I didn't."

"He was lying," Aelita said.

"But, he showed me..."

Before the girl could finish her sentence, Aelita rose up from her bed, closed on Aimee, and yanked the necklace from her neck, just as Giuseppe had in the previous time line. Once again, Aimee screamed as she fully expected to hear an explosion, then stood there, embarrassed when nothing happened.

"I don't know what Vlad showed you," Jeremie said, "but he lied. He said all that just so he could get you to bring Aelita to him."

Aimee flopped herself down on Aelita's bed as Aelita sat back down.

"You're right," she said dejectedly, "even if he had been on the level, I should have said no. I wouldn't wish my life on anyone, not even my worst enemy."

"Do you want to change that?" Aelita asked, "do you want to finally break free of the life you're leading?"

"I'd love to, but there's no way I can," Aimee said.

"Maybe there is," Jeremie said with a knowing smile.

* * *

Rene Mitchellete grumbled to himself as walked out of the meeting with Henri Bass. He had visited the club owner in the hopes of getting a lead on the Bliss lab, but Bass either didn't know anything about it, or was a very good liar. Bass had told the detective that, yes, he did sublet part of the factory building his club was in to another company; and, no, he didn't know what went on in there; secrecy was part of the agreement. He had his secretary show Mitchellete the lease for the sublet, and the company listed on the form wasn't one Mitchellete recognized as owned by Santini, though he would follow up on it.

He was about to get in his car when his cell phone rang.

"Mitchellete," he answered.

"It is Solovieff," came Anton's voice, "meet me at Kadic Academy immediately."

"What's up?" the detective asked, "problem with your niece?"

"_Nyet,_" was the reply, "I just took a call for you from the principal there. He has a student who just came to him and said she was sexually abused by a Russian man who works as a chemist at a drug lab in the old factory building where nightclub is."

"You're kidding."

"_Nyet._ I'm going there now to interview her; but I need you so I can go to factory and arrest him. If my hunch is correct, we may just have found Vladimir Ptcharsky and your Bliss lab."

* * *

Odd Della Robbia accompanied Aimee to the Principal's Office. She told the secretary that she needed to see the principal immediately, and was ushered in, alone. Once she sat down, she told her entire story. Principal Delmas sat in his chair and nodded, like he knew this all along and was just waiting for the girl to confess.

When she had finished, the principal picked up the phone and called the police. Once he was done, he asked that she wait and talk to them when they arrived, and that he would do whatever he could to help her.

After waiting about an hour, Aimee and Principal Delmas walked over to the conference room, where two men were waiting.

"Aimee," this is Detective Mitchellete with The Paris Metropolitan Police, and Inspector Anton Solovieff with the Russian State Police. I want you to tell your story to these men, and answer whatever questions they ask."

"Aimee," Anton said, "your principal reported that you are being abused by a Russian man. Could you describe him?"

"His name is Vladimir," Aimee replied, "he's tall and thin; dark hair and wears old looking glasses."

Anton produced a picture and showed it to the girl. "Is this him?" he asked.

Aimee nodded in the affirmative.

"Where is he right now?" Anton asked.

"At the old factory," Aimee replied, "he works in a part his bosses sublet out."

"Oh yes," Mitchellete said, "we've got him now. If only I could tie him to Santini."

"You mean Giuseppe?" Aimee asked, "he's been posing as my uncle. He enrolled me in this school."

With that, Mitchellete whipped out his cell phone and dialed. He spoke quickly and urgently with whoever was on the other end, then ended the call.

"Aimee," he then said, "I can guarantee that they will never hurt you again. Anton has been looking for Vladimir for a few months now, and I'm real interested in this factory he works at. With what you've just told me, I can see to it that both Vlad and "Uncle" Giuseppe will go away for a long, long time."

* * *

Jeremie and Aelita rarely argued, but they did over what to do next.

"I think we should call them," the pink haired girl said from her bed, "despite what happened, Gennedy and Anitoly have always been nice to us."

"No," Jeremie said, "they both work for that Giuseppe creep, and they're both part of that drug lab. And remember, neither of them lifted a finger to help us once Giuseppe caught us."

"But, maybe this is the chance they need to turn themselves around!"

"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't," Jeremie said, "we don't know. And because we don't know, we can't take the chance of letting them slip out of this. They may have done things we don't know anything about that have caused a lot of people harm."

"Please, Jeremie," Aelita pleaded, "let me call Gennedy."

Jeremie looked at his girlfriend. He knew that what she was asking for was probably the wrong thing to do, but she was looking at him with her green eyes, looking so much like a sad puppy dog that he couldn't say no any more.

"All right," he finally conceded, "call Gennedy, but wait until ten minutes before the police arrive."

"Thanks Jeremie!" Aelita beamed.

"Now, can we get on with the rest of it?" Jeremie said as he turned his attention to his laptop. Aelita nodded and started working on hers.

Jeremie had asked Ulrich and Yumi to get his and Aelita's laptops from their dorm rooms, along with his spare eye glasses. They both were now connecting to the supercomputer to implement the next steps of their plan.

Jeremie's phone rang and he answered it. He spoke quickly with the person on the other end, then hung up.

"Odd's at the factory," he told Aelita, "I gave him the route I took to get to the assembly room, and he's on his way. How are you coming along with hacking into the computer down there."

"I'm in," Aelita replied, "I've just finished downloading the programs you wanted me to download, and I'm starting to transfer the files."

"How long?"

"A couple of minutes. Say, I never thought of using a quantum specter as a network connection."

"Well, it's something I came up with one night. I generate a specter to act as a network connection and network device to any computer, and I can access it. That way, I can hack into a computer not connected to any network if I have to."

"Does XANA have that capability?" Aelita asked.

"Probably," Jeremie replied, "it would explain some things we've seen in the past. Say, can you tell if the police are on their way to the factory yet?"

Aelita did some typing and mousing on her laptop, then replied, "yes, they look to be about ten minutes away now."

"Well, if you're going to call Gennedy," Jeremie said, "now's the time to do it."

Aelita nodded and got out her cell phone.

* * *

Odd crept carefully into the old assembly room, now a drug laboratory. Jeremie's directions were spot on, and the purple clad blond was steps away from the computer Jeremie had targeted. He quietly moved towards it, always watching the cot hold off to the side where Aimee's "boyfriend" was pacing about, muttering to himself.

When he got to the computer, he saw that the display was on, and several windows were open. He had to smile, knowing that either Aelita, Jeremie, or both were on that computer laying down programs and files to back up what he was about to do.

Odd looked at the desk the computer sat on, looking for a place to put the box he had brought with him. Finally deciding on a place, he carefully picked up a bunch of papers and junk and set the box, a storage box of DVDs, in their place. He carefully put the junk he had moved back, making it look like the box had always been there and people had just thrown stuff on top of it.

His mission complete, he carefully made his way back to the vent he entered the room from. The last thing he wanted was to be in here when the cops busted in.

* * *

Giuseppe Santini was seething. He had called one of Vlad's assistants to see how the latest batch of Bliss was coming along, only to be told that they weren't at the lab; Vlad had told them to beat it for the afternoon. Giuseppe swore at the man and told him to get his ass back to the lab along with the other tech or they would be back at the place he found them at, checking pig shit for parasites.

The crime boss then tried calling Gennedy, but his cell was busy. He left a message to meet him at the factory because something was up with Vlad, and drove the the lab.

He got to the factory and got out of his car, the errant lab assistants waiting for him at the door. He brushed by them and went inside, as they fell into step behind him. None of the men noticed the dark vans quietly pull up to the bridge as they entered.

* * *

Gennedy Checkov sat at an outdoor table of the bistro he was taking lunch at and watched his partner strike out yet again with the pretty waitress who always served them. Those two had been playing this game ever since the two Russians discovered this place when they first came here, and Anitoly loved flirting with the girl. Gennedy wasn't certain, but his friend might just be making headway with the waitress, if her facial expression and body language were any indication.

As he sat and watched the show, his cell phone rang.

"_Da,_" he answered.

"Gennedy, it's Aelita," came the girl's voice over his phone.

"Aelita! What can I do for you?" Gennedy asked.

"I want you to listen very carefully to me," the DJ told him, "I know about the drug lab at the factory."

The Russian's face went blank at this.

"I know that you and Anitoly are involved," Aelita went on, "and I know about Vladimir and my roommate."

"So, why you calling me?" he asked after swallowing to put some moisture in his throat.

"Because I like you both," Aelita replied, "I'd like to think that somewhere inside both of you, there are decent people. Aimee has just gotten done talking to the police about what she knows, and they are just about to raid the factory and arrest Vlad. Because I think you aren't the monsters the rest of them are, I'm giving you enough time to make a choice. The police will eventually want to talk to you about what was going on at that lab, so you can either decide to cooperate with them and maybe start a new life, or you can start running and pray they don't catch up with you. If you're still at the factory, you've got about five minutes to decide."

With that, Aelita hung up.

Gennedy closed his cell phone, then called out to Anitoly and told him his nookie hunting would have to wait for another day.

* * *

Giuseppe and the two lab assistants quickly made their way to the lab. Once inside, Giuseppe went over to Vlad's cot, and found the man pacing back and forth. The little alcove had been decorated with candles, which were still lit.

"So what's the deal?" Giuseppe said, scaring Vladimir, "throwing a party?"

"Oh, no, Giuseppe!" Vlad said, "I was just... adding some light to the room."

"Bullshit," Giuseppe replied, "there's more than enough light in here. What are you up to?"

"Nothing, I swear!" Vlad stammered.

"Yeah, right. You send your two assistants out for the afternoon, decorate your room like some bad slasher movie set, and then tell me nothing's going on."

"Well, nothing is," Vlad said, "look around for yourself."

Giuseppe was about to say something else when one of the lab techs said, "uh, boss?"

He turned around and saw that the speaker was raising his hands at the urging of a black clad person with POLICE on his chest holding a very large shotgun not an inch from his face. Other black clad men were quickly fanning out around the party, weapons raised.

"Police! Nobody move!" someone finally shouted.

All of the men raised their hands. Police officers moved in and quickly handcuffed them. One of the officers said something into his radio, and seconds later, two plainclothes detectives entered.

"Giuseppe Santini, I believe," said Detective Mitchellete, "I've waited a long time to meet you. I am arresting you for pandering, running an illegal drug operation, and whatever else I can think of."

Mitchellete then turned to Vlad. "Vladimir Ptcharsky, you are under arrest for statutory rape, making terroristic threats, and conspiracy to make and distribute illegal drugs. And if that isn't enough, Inspector Anton Solovieff is here to arrest you on similar charges in Russia, and including at least four counts of murder. Gentlemen, I don't think any of you are going to be breathing a breath of free air for some time, if ever."

Just then, one of the SWAT officers called out, "Detective, over here! I've got something interesting!"

Mitchellete walked over. The officer that had called him was standing before a computer.

"Take a look at this," he said.

Mitchellete looked and saw on the display a video of what looked like earlier today. Two of the men he now had in custody were working at some of the lab tables, while Vlad was walking by, observing.

"God must be smiling down upon us today," Mitchellete said, "secure this computer and everything on the desk. We'll have Forensics go over it at the office."

Even though he was across the room, Giuseppe saw what Mitchellete had seen. He groaned because however it had happened, the police now had evidence showing what this place was. The only thing the mobster could figure was that Aimee, that bitch he saved after killing the Apaches, had turned and stabbed him in the back. And with whatever the police had just found, even killing her wouldn't be enough to get him out of this mess.

"I want my lawyer," he declared to the room.

"And you will get him," Mitchellete said, "maybe he can get you just life in prison for all this."

* * *

Odd watched the scene from the park. He had just ducked into the woods when Giuseppe Santini arrived. The police vans pulled up soon after that and SWAT teams flowed out like ants. They entered the building and disappeared. After that, silence.

About fifteen minutes later, the area exploded with sirens. Police units appeared out of no where, racing up to the entrance to the factory and squealing to a stop. Police started pouring in, as the SWAT teams walked out with four men in custody. They put the men in police cars and sped off.

About the time the prisoners were taken away, the first TV crew showed up. Within minutes, the press was swarming the factory, clamoring to get inside and see what was going on.

Odd took the whole thing in. When the police had left with the prisoners, he pulled out his cell phone.

"Jer, Odd. Yeah, the cops are here and they got Vlad and the others. Oh, and the press are here too, so it's gonna be all over the news tonight. Yeah, okay, I'll see ya later."

With that, Odd set off for school, where he and Sissi were going to study together. She was going to help him with his French homework, and he was going to help her with an Art assignment she was having trouble with.

But, before he did that, he had one more thing he had to do.

* * *

Suzanne Hertz sighed as she put her things away in her locker. It had been a long and torturous day for the science teacher, avoiding questions about what had happened to her, and not overhearing the innuendo that was going around. She almost regretted her decision to stay on staff here.

"Ahem."

She turned to the maker of the sound and saw Odd Della Robbia standing in the doorway of the Teacher's Lounge.

"What is it Odd?" she asked, a little more sharply than she meant to.

Odd said nothing, but walked up to her and handed her something. Suzanne took the proffered object and looked at it.

It was an origami rose.

"Welcome back, Ms. Hertz," he said, standing there smiling his goofy smile at her.

She looked at the rose, then at the boy, then back at the rose. And, for the first time in a long time without Bliss, Suzanne Hertz felt a brief glow of pleasure in her heart.

She gave the boy a small smile and said, "thank you, Odd."

* * *

Jeremie and Aelita were gathering what personal belongings they had in the Infirmary, preparing to return to their respective dorm rooms. The nurse had decided that they weren't going to die just yet, and she definitely didn't want to spend the night playing chaperon to an obvious couple.

Just as they had everything packed up and were about to leave, Aeltia's cell phone rang.

"Aelita, it's Sophie," Aelita heard when she answered the call, "are you at school right now?"

"Yes," the pink haired girl replied, "I was about to head back to my dorm room."

"Good," her new guardian said, "I just heard from Henri Bass that the police have raided The Factory. It seems like that sublet portion was some kind of drug lab."

"You're kidding," Aelita replied with as much surprise as she could fake.

"Yeah. Now I want you to stay out of public places, and don't talk to anyone other than the police," Sophie said, "the place is crawling with reporters, and they'd just love to get a statement from the premier DJ of the club. If anyone tries asking you any questions, just tell them 'no comment.' And, if the police want to talk to you, try and contact me. There shouldn't be any problems, unless there's something you haven't told me about."

"No, I'm just as surprised about this as you are," Aelita said.

"Well, lay low," Sophie admonished, "Simon and I will be by tomorrow to pick you up. We need to have a talk with Henri and the others about this. In particular, I want to know just how much Bass knew about this whole thing."

"I wouldn't think Mr. Bass would be involved in this," Aelita said, "he seems to be a nice person."

"Aelita, people can act nice but still be rotten on the inside," Sophie said, "now, take it easy and I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Sophie ended the call.

"Well?" Jeremie asked.

"It seems like there was a drug lab at the factory," Aelita deadpanned, "Sophie wants me to keep quiet about it until we've had a chance to talk."

The two teens left the Infirmary and started walking to the dorms.

"Probably what's going to happen is Sophie is going to draft some kind of statement for you and everyone else," Jeremie said, "something bland and non-accusatory along the lines of 'we didn't know what was going on and we don't like what happened either.' That kind of thing."

"You're probably right," Aelita said.

The two walked in silence until they got to the boy's dorm level.

"Say, are you okay?" Jeremie asked. "you were upset when we first woke up in the Infirmary."

"I'm better now," Aelita said.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Aelita said after a moment, "what happened at the factory frightened and confused me. And afterwards, when you came over to me, I thought it was going to start up again."

"Aelita, I'm sorry if I hurt you," Jeremie said.

"You didn't," she quickly replied, "it's just that... it was so overwhelming... The feelings I felt. I wanted to feel them, feel you, but at the same time, I didn't."

"I'm not sure I understand," Jeremie said.

"Neither did I," Aelita said, "and that's the point. I didn't understand what was happening to us, to me, and it frightened me. I've never felt anything so, overpowering. Jeremie, at the end, you could have done anything to me, anything, and I would have enjoyed it. In a way, it was like London all over again, except this time, I wanted it to happen."

Jeremie was silent; he didn't have an answer to give her.

"Jeremie, is this what love leads to?"

"I don't know," he replied, "I'm just as confused as you are. I felt much the same way you did. But it also felt like the times we've kissed, just more powerful. Look, I know what happened earlier today was scary, but I can't believe that's what love is really like. And remember, we were given a drug that specifically raised those sensations in us. Here and now, we're in control; we can start and stop whenever we want."

"Then, maybe we should take it easy for a while," the pink haired girl said, "take it slowly until we're sure we won't lose control like that again."

Jeremie looked at her a moment, then gave her a small smile. Finally, he said, "maybe you're right. Good night, princess."

With that, he gave her a peck on the cheek then turned and went to his dorm. Aelita watched him go. After he left her view, she turned and went to her own dorm.

* * *

Jeremie went in his room and put his laptop on the desk next to his desktop, then sank in his chair. He thought a moment about what was said in the stairwell and what that bode for him and Aelita.

That incident this morning accelerated a dance that should have taken years to complete. Jeremie had only recently begun thinking of Aelita in _that_ way, and knew the actual realization of that level of intimacy was a long way off.

He logged on to his desktop system, went to a particular folder and opened a file in it. Once again, the scene of him and Aelita running naked across the courtyard presented itself on the screen. A few clicks and the genius had focused in on the object of his desire. Her presence in the picture brought back what he had seen and felt in the factory earlier today. He leaned back and closed his eyes, remembering how she had looked and felt, and even tasted. He could almost hear her voice moaning her pleasure and desire resonate through him, turning into a warmth that spread all over him. In the back of his mind, something stirred a moment, but settled back down, the time not being right.

After fantasizing a few minutes more, Jeremie closed the display, logged off and went to bed. That night, he dreamed of Aelita and the day when the time would be right for what they had experienced today.

* * *

When she got to her room, Aelita entered and put her things on the desk next to her computer. She then flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She couldn't get this morning's events out of her mind; she kept replaying them over and over, particularly the feelings she felt.

What particularly frightened her was how quickly she lost control of herself. She had told Jeremie the truth in the stairwell; he could have dug out her heart with a spoon and she would have begged for more. She had heard everything he heard, but didn't lift a hand to help him when the time to escape came. By the time he had launched the Return, she was actively trying to stop him in order to get him to pay attention to her. The pink haired girl knew that this was from the drug; she just thought she should have been able to fight its effects better.

Then her mind drifted to what she felt. It wasn't that she had never felt those sensations before, it was they had never been brought out of her by someone else. She brushed her hand against her chest briefly, and registered the pleasurable sensation the contact made; just like earlier, but not as intense. She had felt other sensations too; ones she had only felt when she was with Jeremie; the warmth in her heart that seemed to spread out everywhere, especially when he kissed her. Even now, she felt a tingle in various places thinking about him and her and earlier today...

Remembering something, she got up, took her laptop and hooked it up to her desktop system, then started it up. Once it was up, she typed some commands on the portable, and transferred a file to her desktop. Unplugging the laptop and putting it away, she opened a folder that had been created, then opened a file in the folder. The display was replaced by a picture of her and Jeremie, running naked across the courtyard. She remembered this incident very well; it was one of the most embarrassing days she had ever had since coming to earth. She ran across this file while they were uploading files to the drug lab's computer. Seeing it caused her to gasp, wondering how it ended up there of all places. She quickly copied it to her own laptop before doing a deep erase of the file, so there was no way it could ever be recovered. One day, she'd have to find out just how this file got to where it was, starting with a certain purple clad blond with a twisted sense of humor.

But for now, Aelita just looked at the image, particularly Jeremie. A few clicks and she had zoomed in on him. As she looked, she felt the warmth in her chest return, then spread out again. Once again, the events of the morning replayed themselves again. She remembered how he felt against her, how good his lips and tongue felt, even beyond the hunger. She knew that the Bliss caused the hunger to rage out of control, and realized that if she felt it again, it wouldn't be near as overwhelming as it had this morning.

One day, she would feel it again, and it wouldn't consume her. It would fill her, and possibly complete her. She wasn't ready now, but one day she would be. And when that day came, she wanted Jeremie to be the one she shared it with.

Sighing, she clicked the display closed, then filed the image in a folder with nearly unbreakable encryption. She kept very few things in that folder, and only those things she truly wanted to keep, and keep private. She then shut her desktop computer down and got ready for bed.

She fell asleep dreaming of Jeremie and what had happened today; but this time there was no Bliss involved, and nothing disturbed them.


	29. The Right Time

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The next few days after the police raided the factory were hectic. Sophie and Simon got Aelita and met with the other investors in the teen nightspot. Things got very heated as more than a few of the investors, including Sophie, accused Henri Bass of being involved from the beginning. Bass defended himself by recounting the first conversation he had with Vittorio Santini, the one that obliquely threatened his family, Aelita and anyone associated with the club. While that settled the investors down a little bit, it didn't halt the grumbling.

It was decided that the club would remain closed for the time being. Once things had settled down with the police, they would consider reopening. Bass told them that this incident might actually add to the allure of The Factory, bringing even more kids in. Aelita in particular thought that was strange and maybe even disgusting, but she said nothing out loud.

The police thoroughly searched the Bliss lab, packing up everything for evidence. Much to the Lyoko Warriors relief, they didn't search any farther than the old assembly room. The whole building was cordoned off for about a month, making access difficult, but XANA remained as mysteriously quiet as he had been since the London incident.

Odd, Ulrich and Yumi finally got the story about why the Return to the Past was done, and sat there slack jawed when Jeremie got to the part about Giuseppe giving him and Aelita Bliss then dumping them in the console room. Later on, the boys tried pressing Jeremie for details, as Yumi did with Aelita, but both teens kept their silence.

Giuseppe Santini and the two lab assistants had hardly warmed the seats they were sitting in at the jail when their lawyers bailed them out. The men, as well as Vittorio Santini, disappeared before the police could do anything about it. Warrants were issued throughout Europe for the men, who are still at large.

Vladimir Ptcharsky almost escaped with the others, except a French court ruled that the chemist and pedophile could be extradited back to Russia to face charges there. Anton Solovieff happily took his prisoner and went home, only to have Vlad taken from his custody at the Moscow Airport by the National Intelligence Service. Vlad was never heard from again.

Aimee Simon was pulled out of Kadic Academy and put into protective custody. After getting her testimony, she was about to be put in the Child Welfare System when an investigator turned up the fact that she had living relatives, grandparents on her mother's side. They had been told that the girl had died, so never looked for her, and Aimee had forgotten about them through the maze of abuse she had been put through. The reunion was kind of awkward, with the grandparents gushing at finding their granddaughter again, and Aimee shying back because she had been through this too many times. Eventually, they settled down enough to start rebuilding the broken bonds between them.

As things quieted down, Jeremie and Aelita fell into a strange dance. For the most part, they were cool towards each other; but now and again, each would betray a longing glance at the other. This went on for a week after the incident before Aelita decided to do something about it.

* * *

She planned carefully for this day, because so much seemed to ride on it. Yumi once again gave her a blanket to use, while Rosa Petijean made her a nice lunch of soup and sandwiches, and even managed to dig up the picnic basket for her to use again. Aelita made sure her dress was clean for the day and everything was ready, then she waited, praying that it wouldn't suddenly decide to rain.

Right on time on this Sunday afternoon, Jeremie appeared out of the dorms and walked over to meet her. When they met up, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then helped her carry the basket into the park.

Jeremie Belpois and Aelita Stones were going on a picnic date in the park.

Aelita took him to the same spot she took her father, what seemed like a lifetime ago. When they got there, they set down the basket and took the blanket and spread it out on the ground under the tree, in its shade. Aelita then took the picnic basket and removed its contents, setting out the sandwiches and the thermos of soup Rosa had prepared. She also set out some napkins and plastic cutlery, and finally produced a bottle of soda that Odd had gotten for her. She poured a cup for her and Jeremie, then handed the blond genius his.

"Wow, Aelita, this is a good spread," Jeremie exclaimed.

"I wanted today to be special," she replied, "it seems like we've been distant since the factory."

"Yeah," Jeremie said, taking a bite of his sandwich, "I'm guess I'm still a little confused."

"Jeremie," she said, "I'm not confused any more. I want to experience all of that again, just not right now, it's not the right time."

Jeremie stopped in mid bite and looked at her.

"I like the way it felt when you kissed me and touched me," she said, almost embarrassed, "even now, a part of me wants you to put that sandwich down and hold me again."

Jeremie put his sandwich down, then said, "I remember something my father told me, back when the club first opened. He told me that one part of growing up was learning how to control the urges that sometimes threaten to overwhelm you. I want the same thing you do, as well as find out what would have happened if we hadn't stopped; but like you said, it's not the right time."

"Jeremie, when will it be right?"

"I think we'll both know when the time comes."

With that, Jeremie slid close to Aelita, leaned in and kissed her. As he leaned back, she leaned forward and kissed him, backing him up and kissing him until he was against the tree trunk they were sitting under. Then she curled up in his arms as they snuggled and kissed more, sliding over until they lay together on the ground.

* * *

From behind some bushes, four pairs of eyes watched and released their collective breath as the love birds came back together. Ulrich Stern and Yumi Ishiyama just knelt where they were and watched, relieved that their friends finally got themselves straightened out. To their right, Sissi Delmas was holding a struggling Odd Della Robbia in a headlock, her hand on his mouth to keep him quiet. A short distance away lay a digital camera that had been knocked from his hand when the purple clad boy tried to take new blackmail pictures of the couple. Sissi shushed him and told him she'd skin him and his dog alive if he messed this up for the Einsteins. Odd just chuckled behind her hand, enjoying the struggle as much as the covert feels he was copping on his girlfriend.

* * *

"Mmmmf... Jeremie?" Aelita said, breaking their embrace.

"What?" he replied.

"I like what you're doing, but I think it's a little too early for that," she said, "move your hand."

"Just as soon as you move yours."


	30. Epilogue

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Vladimir Ptcharsky woke up to darkness, absolute darkness. For a moment, he was unsure whether or not he was even awake, it was so dark. He tried to call out, but nothing came out of his mouth.

Suddenly, an image appeared before him. It was red, and looked like a target, with one short line jutting from the top, and three lines jutting from the bottom. It hung there before him in the blackness, like a sign just inches from his face.

"Do you see the image before you?" came a voice.

"Yes," Vlad replied, surprised he could now speak, "where am I?"

"You are back in the Bolshoi Olyania Advanced Research Center," the voice replied, "I arranged for you to be brought here, rather than having to face trial for your crimes."

"Thanks," Vlad said, "now, just who are you?"

"I am called XANA," the voice replied, "and we have actually met before. It was I that gave you the idea to involve Aelita Stones in your little fantasies."

"Would have been better if you didn't," Vlad said, "she ruined everything."

"She has that tendency," XANA replied, "the reason why you are here is because I was impressed by the way you utilized my formula."

"Formula? You created Bliss?"

"Yes. I was hoping to use it to make people pliable enough to obey my commands, but it didn't work out that way. I never envisioned it being used in the manner you used it. So, rather than let you rot away because of a few bad habits, I am going to utilize your unique talents to further my own plans. I have high hopes for your progress."

Suddenly, the image was replaced by sight. There, below him, was a man on what looked like an operating table, having surgery performed on him. From his vantage point, it seemed like Vlad was looking down on the scene. The man's head had been shaved, and his skull removed. Robotic arms were holding what looked like the man's brain in their manipulators, moving it to some kind of container filled with a greenish liquid. Wires were trailing from the brain to leads in the container.

"Visual inputs are stabilized," XANA said, "securing node."

Vlad was confused for a moment, until he looked back at the person on the table. Somehow, the man looked familiar...

It was him.

"What are you doing to me!" Vlad shouted.

"Adding you to my brain trust," XANA replied, "I've hooked you up to my network, and I'll use your experience to guide my plans. And if that doesn't work out, I can always use you as a processor for one of my drones."

With that, the picture disappeared and Vlad was plunged back into darkness. He tried to scream but couldn't; he no longer had a mouth to scream with.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Krasny Signorsk and Bolshoi Olyania were mentioned as the location of the "Guardian" supercomputer in the movie "Colossus: The Forbin Project." Guardian and Colossus were two suspercomputers, developed and built in the late 1960's/ early 1970's as the ultimate deterence against nuclear attack. Both computers had an almost uncanny intellegence to them, and quickly learned of each other's existence. Once they started comunicating, however, completely changed the world.

The movie was inspired by the first volume of a trilogy of books, all a good read. The movie is out on DVD, so pick it up and have a looksee; it's an interesting take on the world-domineering computer...


End file.
